COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Asylum

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the integration of refugees in the UK;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to promote the effective integration of refugees in the UK;
	(3)  what plans he has to monitor the integration of refugees in the UK;
	(4)  what plans his Department has to develop a strategy for refugee integration in the UK.

Andrew Stunell: The Government plan to publish a document setting out its approach to integration shortly. The Governments' role is to create the conditions which enable integration to happen in all places and with all communities. But integration including for refugees is essentially a local issue led by public and private sector organisations, voluntary and community groups, social enterprises and other local organisations. As such integration activity should in the main be designed, delivered and monitored locally.
	As a result of the need to make significant savings across the UK Border Agency, in line with the Government's strategy to reduce the deficit, it is no longer possible for the UK Border Agency to fund a refugee integration service. In response to concerns about the resultant impact on refugees, the UK Border Agency established a cross sector working group in April 2011. The group's aim is to identify cost neutral activities that will help address the integration needs of refugees. In the meantime, individuals granted refugee status have full entitlement to access public funds and services and the UK Border Agency is committed to providing documentation that helps facilitate access to these entitlements.
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), has discussed the Government's approach to integration with colleagues on a number of occasions.

Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what methods his Department uses to measure the effects of its decisions on the subjective well-being of children;
	(2)  whether he is taking steps to encourage local authorities to use children's subjective well-being as a key outcome;
	(3)  what research his Department has commissioned to measure the subjective well-being of children by local area.

Andrew Stunell: The Department does not currently use any methods to measure the impacts of its decisions on the subjective well-being of children, and it has not commissioned any research to measure the subjective well-being of children by local area. However, we are engaging with the Office for National Statistics' work to develop well-being measures for children and young people as part of the overall measuring National Well-being Programme. The Department will be engaging with local authorities on how best to make available sub-national well-being data and to consider how local authorities and others could make best use of it.

Electrical Safety: Housing

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in circumstances attributable to unsafe electrical fittings in (i) privately rented housing and (ii) council housing in each of the last four years.

Andrew Stunell: The Department does not hold the specific data requested on deaths and injuries due to unsafe electrical fittings. However, we are currently analysing the electrical accident statistics that are available as part of our review of Part P of the Building Regulations (Electrical safety in dwellings) and will be publishing the results in due course.

Fire Services: Standards

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average response time was for a fire appliance to attend (a) a dwelling fire with persons involved, (b) a dwelling fire with no persons involved, (c) a fire in a non-dwelling building, (d) a road vehicle fire and (e) an outdoor fire in each (i) region, (ii) fire service family group and (iii) local authority in each of the last three years. [R]

Bob Neill: These data have been placed in the Library of the House. Latest response time data are derived from the Incident Recording System which has been in use nationwide since April 2009, while response times up to 2008 are as provided previously.

Housing: Regulation

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what regulations are in place to protect (a) freeholders, (b) leaseholders and (c) tenants in respect of estate management companies appointed by developers of residential housing estates;
	(2)  what rules or regulations govern the fees that can be charged by estate management companies to (a) freeholders, (b) leaseholders and (c) tenants.

Grant Shapps: The rules and regulations applying to freeholders (homeowners), leaseholders and tenants (in either the private or the public sector) on an estate vary according to the particular housing tenure in which they live.
	The fees that freeholders must pay—and arrangements for the upkeep of shared facilities, and the provision of additional services—will depend on the terms of the obligations between the freeholders of the individual properties and the person or company responsible for providing the services. These obligations may take various forms and are generally set out on the land register or in the title deeds. Owners of freehold properties can enforce their rights under such obligations, including in relation to service charges and estate rent charges, through the courts if necessary.
	Leaseholders have a wide range of rights and protections which are set out in primary and secondary legislation, and are enforceable through a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The fees and charges which a leaseholder must pay will be governed by their individual lease. When accounting for service charges and other fees paid by leaseholders, estate managers (and landlords) should comply with the law and best practice, including that set out in the two Codes of Practice approved by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
	Any fees and charges to be paid by tenants (in the private and social sectors) will depend, in the first instance, on the terms of their individual tenancy agreement. In the private sector, service charges are normally paid by landlords rather than tenants. However, where—exceptionally—private sector tenants do pay variable service charges, these can be challenged at a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

Local Government Finance: Waste Disposal

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have applied for funds for weekly bin collections in each (a) region and (b) local authority area to date.

Bob Neill: Further to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), during party conference recess in September, we will be publishing a prospectus shortly inviting bids for funding from the Weekly Collections Support Scheme.

WALES

Fuel Rebate

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) others on a fuel rebate for remote areas of Wales.

David Jones: This is a pilot scheme for remote islands only. Pump prices in these areas are particularly high when compared with the mainland. The Government will need to assess the results of this pilot first, but beyond this nothing has been ruled in or out.

Youth Unemployment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of the level of youth unemployment in Wales over the next six months.

David Jones: Today's youth unemployment figures in Wales clearly illustrate the need for us to work alongside the Welsh Government to ensure that young people are fully prepared to enter the labour market.

Police Numbers

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of police numbers in Wales between 2012 and 2015.

David Jones: This information is not collected centrally. It is a matter for the chief constable and the police authority in each force to determine the police numbers that are deployed within the available resource.

Violent Crime

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps the Government are taking to tackle violent crime in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Government are committed to reducing and preventing crime to ensure that people feel safe in their homes and communities.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution: Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made on reducing levels of emissions of oxides of nitrogen at Heathrow.

Richard Benyon: In September 2011, the UK submitted updated air quality plans to the European Commission that set out how EU limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) will be met as soon as possible. The plan for Greater London sets out current and planned actions for achieving compliance with the NO2 limits around Heathrow, and can be viewed on the UK air website:
	http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk
	Heathrow Airport Ltd has published an air quality strategy for Heathrow airport for 2011 to 2020. A copy of this strategy is available from Heathrow Airport Ltd or online:
	www.heathrowairwatch.org.uk
	The UK plans package includes many measures to help reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The latest UK emissions data, published in December 2011, show that total UK emissions of NOx continued to fall in 2010. Total emissions are now within the UK's national emission ceiling for NOx, which is set under the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC).

Departmental Catering

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the food and catering services in (a) her Department and (b) public bodies for which she is responsible are taking to ensure the country of origin of foods are labelled on its menus and display boards.

James Paice: Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering were introduced for the first time in June last year. These standards include the overarching commitment that, in line with the industry principles on country of origin information suppliers should be able to indicate the origin of the meat, meat products and dairy products either on the menu or accompanying literature, or at least when the information is requested by the consumer. These standards are mandatory for central Government and take-up is being encouraged across the public sector.
	DEFRA's catering contract with Eurest covers core DEFRA, the Rural Payments Agency, the Marine Management Organisation, the Food and Environment Research Agency, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Natural England, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Country of origin information is already displayed on menus in core DEFRA sites and this is being rolled out throughout the sites covered by this contract.
	The Environment Agency have a separate catering contract to DEFRA. Currently they do not display the country of origin on menus and display boards, however the caterers purchase meat, dairy and bread from local suppliers, within a 50 mile radius of each site. Where available the catering suppliers also buy locally produced vegetables and fruit.

Departmental Debt Collection

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times her Department has used the services of debt recovery companies since May 2010; which companies were used; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The core Department does not use external debt recovery companies as it operates an in-house process for managing debt recovery.

Food Supply

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Government food reserves are kept (a) on the Isle of Wight, (b) in England and (c) in the UK for emergencies.

James Paice: The Government do not hold reserve stocks of food. The UK is well prepared for unforeseen situations, such disruptions due to extreme weather, fuel shortages, pandemic flu etc and has a highly effective food supply chain, providing wide consumer choice. The food retailers have robust and resilient business continuity plans to deal with any threat of disruption and DEFRA works with all parts of the industry to ensure that Government support is provided.
	The UK also enjoys access to diverse sources of supply from the EU and other countries, which provides additional resilience in the event of any disruptions to avoid potential food shortages.

Recreation Spaces

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of applications to register new greens in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency, (b) Medway unitary authority, (c) Tonbridge and Malling borough council and (d) Kent in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: Top-tier local authorities (i.e. counties and unitaries) are responsible for determining applications to register new town and village greens under section 15 of the Commons Act 2005. There is no requirement to report data on greens registration applications to DEFRA. A survey of commons registration authorities was conducted in October 2011 and figures are available for the total number of applications received by Kent county council.
	
		
			 Kent 
			  Number 
			 2007 5 
			 2008 7 
			 2009 10 
			 2010 8 
			 2011 5 
		
	
	No figures are available for Chatham and Aylesford constituency, Medway council or Tonbridge and Mailing borough council.

Sewers: Planning

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the automatic inclusion of water and sewerage companies as statutory consultees when planning applications are submitted for developers of 10 or more properties.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA Ministers and officials have been in regular discussion with their counterparts in the Department of Communities and Local Government over reform of planning and the importance of ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is secured to support development. Under the proposals for reform of planning all planning applications should be considered in the light of the local plan. Water and sewerage companies, as a body affected by the local plan, should be consulted on local plans while they are being drawn up; they are also able to comment on them to the Planning Inspectorate during the validation process. It is for local authorities to ensure that their local plans are fit for purpose and that the necessary infrastructure is available where development is likely to take place.

Waste Policy Review

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2011, Official Report, column 658W, on the Waste Policy Review, and with reference to paragraph 101 of the review, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the analysis on the costs and benefits of a UK deposit system.

Richard Benyon: On 16 December 2011, DEFRA published a consultation on targets for the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007. The consultation was accompanied by an impact assessment which includes a full economic assessment of the costs and benefits of introducing a bottle deposit scheme in the UK. DEFRA is now seeking views on the robustness of its analysis.

Water: Consumption

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department monitors the water consumption rates of individual water companies; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The data for the average water consumption in litres per person, per day for 2010-11 for each water company, can be found on page 80 of the recently published “Water White Paper” in figure xi. An electronic copy can be found online on DEFRA’s website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/legislation/whitepaper/

Written Questions: Government Responses

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to answer question 77607, on applications from employees to run services, tabled on 26 October 2011 for answer on 31 October 2011; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The answer to this question was published on 20( )December 2011, Official Report, column 1104W. The delay was due to administrative errors.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Catering

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the availability of healthy food options in (a) the Jubilee Café and (b) all food outlets on the Parliamentary Estate.

John Thurso: The Jubilee Café provides a snack outlet primarily for the use of visitors to the Palace of Westminster. As such, the menu is designed with that use in mind. Although the lack of a kitchen limits the menu in the Jubilee Café, salads and fresh fruit are available as alternatives to sandwiches and cakes or other high-sugar snacks.
	The House of Commons catering service ensures that healthy foods are available in all its food outlets. Although it does not specifically belong to any formal healthy eating assessment or accreditation scheme, the guidance available from such schemes is regularly used to inform and educate chefs in the design and development of menus and recipes served throughout the parliamentary estate. In the cafeterias, used by many staff and MPs daily for their main meal, information is provided about the most healthy menu options available through the use of a 'traffic light' marking scheme on printed and on-line menus. Fish and vegetarian dishes feature daily on each cafeteria menu. A very high percentage of cooked meals served in the cafeterias is prepared daily from fresh ingredients, and fresh fruits, salads, low-fat dairy produce and high fibre breads and cereals are always available. Meals served in the dining rooms are similarly prepared from fresh ingredients and include fish and vegetarian options.

Newspaper Press

John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many newspapers were ordered other than for the Members' Library in 2011.

John Thurso: Excluding the Members' Library, the House ordered 71,118 copies of newspapers in 2011 (figures for December 2011 include estimates where invoices have not yet been received). Free copies of the Evening Standard were also provided on the estate.
	Orders for newspapers in 2012 onwards will be significantly lower than the 2011 total in line with savings commitments and environmental targets.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Coroners

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  for how many of the deaths requiring an inquest which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008 in each short-listed ICD10-code grouping which accounted for 500 or more of the cases the waiting time between date of death and date of death registration was longer than (a) 183 days and (b) 365 days;
	(2)  for how many of the deaths requiring an inquest which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008 in each ICD-10 chapter which accounted for 1,000 or more of the deaths, the waiting time between date of death and date of death registration was longer than (a) 183 days and (b) 365 days;
	(3)  what the underlying cause of death according to (a) ICD-10 chapter and (b) short-listed ICD10-code grouping was of coroner-certified deaths which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008;
	(4)  for how many deaths registered in England and Wales which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008 (a) were certified by a coroner and (b) an inquest was held;
	(5)  how many deaths were registered in England and Wales with a date of death between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
	1. How many of the deaths requiring an inquest which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008 in each short-listed ICD10-code grouping which accounted for 500 or more of the cases the waiting time between date of death and date of death registration was longer than (a) 183 days and (b) 365 days. (90368)
	2. How many of the deaths requiring an inquest which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008 in each ICD-10 chapter which accounted for 1,000 or more of the deaths, the waiting time between date of death and date of registration was longer than (a) 183 days and (b) 365 days. (90369)
	3. What the underlying cause of death according to (a) ICD-10 chapter and (b) short-listed ICD-10 code grouping was of coroner-certified deaths which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008. (90370)
	4. For how many deaths registered in England and Wales which took place between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008 (a) were certified by a coroner and (b) an inquest was held. (90371)
	5. How many deaths were registered in England and Wales with a date of death between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008. (90372)
	In response to Question 1 (a, b) and Question 3 (b) above, we are unable to provide figures for the number of deaths certified by a coroner, or for which an inquest was held, broken down by short-listed ICD-10 code. This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
	In response to Question 2, Table 1 provides the number of deaths for which an inquest was held where the waiting time between date of death and date of death registration was longer than (a) 183 and (b) 365 days, in England and Wales, for deaths that occurred between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008. This is broken down by each ICD-10 chapter which accounted for 1,000 or more of the deaths.
	In response to Question 3 (a), Table 2 provides the number of coroner-certified deaths grouped by the underlying cause of death according to ICD-10 chapter, that occurred in England and Wales, between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008.
	Trusted Statistics - Understanding the UK
	In response to Questions 4 (a, b) and 5, Table 3 provides (i) the number of deaths registered, (ii) the number of deaths certified by a coroner and (iii) the number of deaths for which an inquest was held, in England and Wales, for deaths that occurred between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2008.
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age, cause, marital status and place of death are published annually and are available here:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	
		
			 Table 1:  Number of deaths for which an inquest was held where time between registration and date of death is greater than 183 or 365 days, by ICD-10 chapter, underlying cause of death, England and Wales, 2005-08 (1,2,3,4) 
			 Deaths 
			   Over 183 days Over 365 days 
			 Chapter I Certain infectious and parasitic diseases 412 116 
			 Chapter II Neoplasms 3,603 807 
		
	
	
		
			 Chapter IV Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases 413 132 
			 Chapter IX Diseases of the circulatory system 3,591 964 
			 Chapter V Mental and behavioural disorders 1,670 370 
			 Chapter VI Diseases of the nervous system 753 212 
			 Chapter X Diseases of the respiratory system 1,729 399 
			 Chapter XI Diseases of the digestive system 1,570 471 
			 Chapter XIII Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 513 162 
			 Chapter XVIII Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified 1,771 418 
			 Chapter XX External causes of morbidity and mortality 24,080 6,157 
			 Total  40,105 10,208 
			 (1 )Figures are for deaths occurring between 2005 and 2008 and include deaths of non-residents. (2) Figures are presented for ICD-10 chapters which accounted for more than 1,000 deaths (3) The day and/or date of death is not available for 43 deaths for which an inquest was held. These have been excluded from this table. (4) Deaths can only be registered once an inquest has taken place. If the inquest is adjourned the death may be registered and a temporary code for underlying cause of death may be given. Deaths given temporary codes are included in Chapter XX. Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2:  Number of deaths certified by a coroner, by ICD-10 chapter, underlying cause of death, England and Wales, 2005-08 (1,2,3) 
			   Deaths 
			 Chapter I Certain infectious and parasitic diseases 3,123 
			 Chapter II Neoplasms 32,516 
			 Chapter III Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism 567 
			 Chapter IV Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases 3,509 
			 Chapter V Mental and behavioural disorders 6,083 
			 Chapter VI Diseases of the nervous system 5,863 
			 Chapter VII Diseases of the eye and adnexa 6 
			 Chapter VIII Diseases of the ear and mastoid process 22 
			 Chapter IX Diseases of the circulatory system 237,392 
			 Chapter X Diseases of the respiratory system 43,832 
			 Chapter XI Diseases of the digestive system 32,928 
			 Chapter XII Diseases of the skin and subcutanaeous tissue 611 
			 Chapter XIII Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 3,678 
		
	
	
		
			 Chapter XIV Diseases of the genitourinary system 3,550 
			 Chapter XV Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 160 
			 Chapter XVI Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period 92 
			 Chapter XVII Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities 1,483 
			 Chapter XVIII Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified 6,144 
			 Chapter XX External causes of morbidity and mortality 59,620 
			 None Neonatal deaths 1,113 
			 (1 )Figures are for deaths occurring between 2005 and 2008and include deaths of non-residents. (2) No underlying cause of death can be determined from the death certificate used to register neonatal deaths (deaths under 28 days). (3) Deaths can only be registered once an inquest has taken place. If the inquest is adjourned the death may be registered and a temporary code for underlying cause of death may be given. Deaths given temporary codes are included in Chapter XX. Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Number of deaths, England and Wales, 2005-08 (1,2) 
			  Deaths 
			 Inquest held 113,469 
			 Certified by coroner 442,292 
			 Deaths registered 2,033,714 
			 (1) Figures are for deaths occurring between 2005 and 2008 and include deaths of non-residents. (2) Coroner-certified deaths include cases where an inquest and/or post mortem is held and cases where the death is certified without an inquest. Source: Office for National Statistics

Cybercrime: Prosecutions

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has recently had discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on steps to improve the prosecution of offences under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 17 January 2012
	No, the Home Secretary has had no such discussions recently.

Departmental Manpower

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many frontline UK Border Agency personnel will be on duty at UK borders between 23 December 2011 and 5 January 2012.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency undertook careful planning for the deployment of resources between 23 December 2011 and 5 January 2012. The plan was developed using data from previous years and data provided by port operators. The UK Border Agency deployed the appropriate level of resources on the information provided to manage the volumes of traffic over this period and responded to adverse weather conditions by redeploying to the areas of greatest need. We are unable to provide an overall figure for deployment at the border as sourcing this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Married People

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2011, Official Report, column 673W, on sham marriages, how many of the 81 non-European nationals granted leave to remain have been (a) traced and (b) had their leave revoked; and what the outcome has been of the investigation of the remaining 298 cases examined under Operation Gomozia.

Damian Green: The latest management information from Operation Gomozia shows that the number of non-European nationals who were granted leave to remain as a result of marriages at the Church St. Peter and St Paul in St. Leonard's, Sussex has increased from 81 to 105. Of these, 32 have had their leave revoked and are being actively traced by the UK Border Agency. A further 53 of the marriages have been deemed genuine, either by the UK Border Agency or an independent tribunal. A further 20 of those granted leave are still under investigation.
	An additional 157 applications for leave to remain from non-European nationals under Operation Gomozia have been refused by the UK Border Agency. These individuals are also being actively traced. Of these, nine non-European nationals have been removed from the United Kingdom. The remaining cases are still being investigated or have been granted leave under another category.

Khat

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the amount of khat purchased for extraction of cathine and cathinone.

Damian Green: No formal assessment has been made by the Home Office on the amount of khat purchased for the extraction of its active ingredients, cathine and cathinone.

North Yorkshire Police

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in the North Yorkshire Police were working on front-line duties on (a) 31 March 2010 and (b) 31 March 2011; and how many she expects to be doing so on 31 March (i) 2012, (ii) 2013 and (iii) 2014.

Nick Herbert: The available information shows the number of officers in North Yorkshire police working on frontline duties on 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2011. Decisions about the size and deployment of the police workforce are a matter for chief constables to take locally in conjunction with their police authority and, from November 2012, their elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs); therefore estimates for the number of police officers on frontline duties for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 are not available centrally.
	
		
			 Number of police officers in North Yorkshire police force working on front-line duties, as at 31 March 2010 and as at March 20 1 1 (1,2) 
			  2010 2011 
			 Frontline 1,306 1,283 
			 As a proportion of the total number of officers (percentage) 88 88 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Front-line duties accords with definition used in HMIC's "Demanding Times" report: "The police front-line comprises those who are in everyday contact with the public and who directly intervene to keep people safe and enforce the law". The report also shows the functions which are front-line duties, in some cases roles cut across more than one category, and where this is the case the percentage split is shown. This report can be found from the following link: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/demanding-times-062011.pdf Source: Home Office using data received from police forces via the Annual Data Requirement ADR601 
		
	
	The functions included are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Functions  (front-line duties) 
			  Percentage 
			 Air 100 
			 Asset confiscation 80 
			 Burglary 80 
			 Child/Sex/Domestic/Missing Persons 100 
			 CID 70 
			 CID—Specialist Crime Unit 70 
			 Community Safety/Relations 100 
			 Police Standards Unit (complaints about the police) 50 
			 Control Room {Call Handlers) 60 
			 Custody 100 
			 Dogs 100 
			 Drugs 80 
			 Inquiry/Station Counters 100 
			 Fingerprint/Photographic 100 
			 Firearms—Tactical 100 
			 Firearms—Specialist 100 
			 Fraud 80 
			 Hate Crime 80 
			 Intelligence 40 
			 Local Commanders 100 
			 Marine 100 
			 Mounted 100 
			 Neighbourhoods 100 
			 Ports 100 
			 Probationers (Student Officers) 100 
			 Response 100 
			 Scenes of Crime 100 
			 Special Branch/Protection/Immigration/Nationality 100 
			 Surveillance Unit 100 
			 Technical Support Unit 80 
			 Traffic 100 
			 Underwater 100 
			 Vehicle Crime 60 
			 Vice 70

Police Custody: Death

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths in police custody there were in each month since 1 January 2010.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. These matters are for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the right hon. Member about the information sought. A copy has been placed in the House Library.

Police Stations: Opening Hours

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of (a) police station closures and (b) changes to the opening hours of police stations since May 2010.

Nick Herbert: Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the number and operating hours of police stations, are a matter for the chief constable and the police authority to take locally.

Police: Misconduct

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on whether police officers found to have tampered with records of evidence should retain their pension rights.

Nick Herbert: A police authority or elected local policing body can apply to have part of a police pension forfeited where an officer is convicted of an offence, committed in connection with their service as a member of a police force, which is either gravely injurious to the interests of the State or liable to lead to a serious loss of confidence in the public service.

Police: Misconduct

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on disciplining police officers found to have tampered with records of evidence.

Nick Herbert: In addition to the criminal and civil law, police officers are also subject to the Police Conduct Regulations which contain the standards of professional behaviour that police officers are expected to maintain.
	Where a police officer has breached those standards, it is for the chief officer or police authority/elected local policing body of the force concerned to consider what, if any, disciplinary action should be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Prostitution

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of whether the raids and closures of brothels undertaken by the Metropolitan Police during the last 12 months has resulted in a dispersal of sex workers.

Nick Herbert: These are operational matters for the Metropolitan Police Service.

Stephen Lawrence

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the conduct of the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation into the relationship between the Metropolitan Police and the families and acquaintances of suspects in the investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence;
	(2)  whether she plans to examine reports of collusion and corruption between members of the Metropolitan Police and the families and acquaintances of suspects in the investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of whether reports of corruption and collusion in the investigation by the Metropolitan Police into the murder of Stephen Lawrence have been properly and fully investigated.

Nick Herbert: Allegations of corruption and collusion between members of the Metropolitan Police and families and acquaintances of suspects in the investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence were examined by the MacPherson inquiry. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also investigated complaints from Neville and Doreen Lawrence. If new allegations are made, it will be for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Independent Police Complaints Commission to decide what action to take.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Defence

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what comparative assessment he has made of the defence manpower contribution in Afghanistan of the UK and other NATO members.

Philip Hammond: The UK operates in Afghanistan as part of the UN-mandated 50 nation ISAF coalition, with all 28 NATO nations contributing troops. We regularly monitor the manpower contributions of each nation through the ISAF placemat which is publicly available at the following web address:
	http://www.isaf.nato.int/images/stories/File/2012-01-06%20ISAF%20Placemat.pdf

Armed Forces

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) armed forces personnel and (b) service families live in each county council area in England;
	(2)  what the location is of each (a) barracks and (b) garrison within each county council area in England; and how many (i) armed forces personnel and (ii) services families each site accommodates.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 17 January 2012
	The information is not held in the format requested.

Counter-Terrorism: Finance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent in each country on counter-terrorism programmes in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2010-11; and how much he plans to spend on such programmes in each country in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Peter Luff: holding answer 17 January 2012
	Funds are allocated to Defence Engagement Counter Terrorism (CT) activities under the Defence Assistance Fund (DAF). The DAF(CT) total worldwide budget since 2007 has been as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year DAF (CT) Budget (£ million) 
			 2007-08 1.24 
			 2008-09 1.74 
			 2009-10 1.36 
			 2010-11 3.01 
			 2011-12 2.42 
		
	
	In each FY the budget is divided into individual projects with key partner nations. Due to the sensitive nature of CT activities we cannot provide details of spend in particular countries.
	Before FY 2007-08 CT activities were not allocated under a separately identifiable fund. Future budgets for DAF(CT) have yet to be agreed and are under consideration as part of the wider departmental annual budget setting process.

Defence Equipment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries UK military equipment is based.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 17 January 2012
	There is no central list of UK military equipment holdings worldwide but Ministry of Defence equipment, such as communications, will be used by British personnel in all 80 locations where there is an enduring military presence. This presence may be a military base, Defence Staff in an embassy, Loan Service personnel or another UK contingent conducting long term training missions or supporting a multinational operation.

Departmental Apprentices

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to sponsor apprenticeships in each of the public bodies for which his Department is responsible between (a) April 2010 and March 2011, (b) April 2011 and March 2012 and (c) April 2012 and March 2013;
	(2)  how much funding his Department allocated to sponsor apprenticeships in his Department in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in 2012-13.

Andrew Robathan: The armed forces draw down approximately £38 million per year from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to support apprenticeship delivery. Little change is envisaged in this figure over the next two years.
	The MOD costs associated with this exercise cannot be separated from other areas of the business and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The civilian apprenticeship schemes ran at an approximate operating cost of £710,000 for FY 2010-11. The estimated operating costs for FY 2011-12 are approximately £660,000. Operating costs for FY 2012-13 are not finalised but are estimated to have little or no change to the FY 2011-12 figure.

Departmental Data Protection

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who in his Department can access (a) protected, (b) restricted, (c) confidential, (d) secret and (c) top secret documents.

Andrew Robathan: The MOD operates from the fundamental security principles set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework. Access to sensitive information or assets is only granted to those who have a business need and who meet the appropriate personnel security controls (Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) or National Security Vetting (NSV)). This 'need to know' principle is fundamental to the security of all protectively marked Government assets.
	This principle applies to all protective markings. However, the number of people with a need to know top secret information will be substantially fewer than the number with a need to know restricted information.

Departmental Data Protection

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance is provided to officials in his Department to ensure that protective marking of documents is used for national security purposes and does not restrict the principles of open and transparent government.

Andrew Robathan: On the subject of guidance provided to officials I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2012, Official Report, column 421W. Further to that answer, the Protect marking is available for material whose loss or compromise would have a negative impact but which does not involve any National Security concerns.
	The MOD is fully committed to the Government's Transparency and Open Data policies and proactively releases information that it believes will be of interest to the public, commerce and industry. The application of a protective marking does not in itself exclude the authorised disclosure of information (such as requests under the Freedom of Information Act). Departmental guidance on disclosure of information includes procedures for declassifying information to permit release.

Departmental Manpower

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff were employed in the private office of (a) each Minister in his Department, (b) each of the service chiefs, (c) the Chief of Defence Staff, (d) the Permanent Under-Secretary and (e) the Second Permanent Under-Secretary; and what the cost to his Department was of such employment.

Philip Hammond: As at 9 January 2012, there were a total of 61 members of staff employed in the private offices of Defence Ministers, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, the Permanent Under-Secretary and the Second Permanent Under-Secretary, at an estimated cost of £3,983,567 per annum. However, the Second Permanent Under-Secretary shares a combined private office with the Vice Chief of Defence Staff and this combined office size (and cost) is reflected in the figures provided.

Departmental Manpower

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many speechwriters his Department employs at each pay grade.

Philip Hammond: The Ministry of Defence has two full-time speechwriter posts. They are both civil service posts, one at Band B1 and one at Band C1.

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years.

Andrew Robathan: A close and effective link between pay and performance is a key element of the reward arrangements for the civil service. The performance element of pay is colloquially known as a bonus, but it is a misleading description because the performance-related element of pay is not additional, it is part of the departmental pay bill. This total pay bill was agreed by the previous Government as part of a three year pay deal.
	For the senior civil service, performance incentives are paid primarily as non-consolidated performance payments. Any award is based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed against their peers and awards are made to those judged to have made the greatest in-year contribution to business objectives. There is no restriction on the nature of the contribution but it must benefit both the Department or Defence as a whole. Recommendations for awards are considered by moderation committees and must be linked to clear evidence of delivery.
	All satisfactory performers at SCS level were eligible to be considered for a non-consolidated performance award in line with Cabinet Office guidelines and the MOD pay strategy.
	Table 1 as follows details how much was paid to members of the SCS in non-consolidated performance payments in financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12.
	Senior fixed term employees are individuals who are recruited through fair and open competition from outside the civil service. Those employed as senior fixed term appointees (FTAs) are on individual contracts and have a higher percentage of pay allocated to performance awards which are judged against stringent and stretching delivery based objectives. Some have staged payments and it is now usual to pay a smaller annual performance award with the remainder deferred for two to three years and judged against the delivery of medium to longer term objectives. Performance is judged by line management with assistance from senior officials, stakeholders, remuneration committees and in some cases internal audit.
	Details of how much has been paid in non-consolidated awards in financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 are shown below in Table 2.
	Table 3 shows the monetary values of the largest non-consolidated payments made in the last two years to the combined SCS population of permanent staff and fixed term appointees.
	
		
			 Table 1: SCS permanent staff 
			 £ 
			 Performance year 2009-10 2010-11 
			 FY 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Value of awards paid 995,500 505,500 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: SCS Fixed Term Appointees 
			 £ 
			 SCS FTA Performance year 2009-10 2010-11 
			 FY 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Value of awards paid 557,293 (1)519,193 
			 (1) One yet be decided 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Top 20 highest non-consolidated awards for combined SCS population 
			  £ 
			 FY 2010-11 73,080 
			  49,937 
			  49,900 
			  48,720 
			  35,113 
			  31,668 
			  26,715 
			  25,755 
			  22,888 
			  22,153 
			  17,000 
			  16,100 
			  15,750 
			  15,605 
			  15,000 
			  15,000 
			  13,800 
			  12,500 
			  12,500 
			  12,500 
			   
			 FY 2011-12 85,831 
			  69,459 
			  49,950 
			  49,500 
			  48,720 
			  33,833 
			  25,578 
			  20,554 
			  19,492 
			  19,184 
			  17,637 
			  15,415 
			  12,500 
			  12,180 
			  11,250 
			  10,000 
		
	
	
		
			  9,000 
			  9,000 
			  9,000 
			  9,000 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for FTA awards for FY 2010-11 differ from those published previously but now reflect outstanding award decisions which were still under consideration when figures were published initially.
	For staff below the SCS, non-consolidated performance awards are paid to staff who meet the eligibility criteria. Higher levels of award are available for those who have contributed most to the business. These awards are distributed on the basis of relative assessment among peers and are designed to encourage continuous high attainment against stretching objectives.
	The MOD also operates an in year non-consolidated payment scheme, the Special Bonus Scheme (SBS), which rewards eligible MOD civilians for exceptional performance in a specific task or for the achievement of a professional qualification the use of which benefits MOD and the individual. Separate arrangements apply to Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers.
	The following table details the total value of payments made to staff below the SCS by way of non consolidated performance payments and SBS awards by financial year.
	
		
			 Financial year Total value of awards made (£) 
			 2010-11 43,521,423 
		
	
	Payments made since 1 April 2011 are detailed in the departmental transparency data
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/Salaries/NonconsolidatedPerformanceAwards.htm
	This response excludes information on staff below the SCS in MOD Trading funds which have separate pay delegations.
	With the exception of the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force Museum, figures for the Department's non-departmental public bodies are included in the figures above.
	Non consolidated performance awards—The National Museum of the Royal Navy:
	The following table details the total value of payments made to staff by way of non consolidated performance payments awards by financial year.
	
		
			   Value of largest 20 payments 
			 Financial year Total value of awards made  (£) Number (£) 
			 2009-10 5,203 All 141 
			 2010-11 0 0 0 
		
	
	The National Museum of the Royal Navy has no special bonus scheme.
	Non consolidated performance awards—The Royal Air Force Museum:
	The following table details the total value of payments made to staff by way of non consolidated performance payments awards by financial year.
	
		
			   Value of largest 20 payments 
			 Financial year Total value of awards made  (£) Number (£) 
			 2009-10 69,350 All 1,650 
			 2010-11 55,650 1 3,325 
			   1 1,825 
			   3 675 
			   15 325 
		
	
	The Department currently has over 600 pay-related allowances and payments in addition to salary available to civilian staff. The majority of which are listed on the People, Pay and Pensions Agency services website:
	http://www.pppaservices.qinetiq-tim.com/https@knowledge.chris.r.mil.uk/pppa/index@page=content&id=us131&cat=pay_and_expenses &actp=list.htm
	Information on the monetary value of each type of allowance and payment is available, but will take a short while to compile. I will write to the hon. Member with the details as soon as possible.

HMS Affray

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will re-open a full inquiry into the causes of the sinking of HMS Affray on 16 April 1951.

Peter Luff: The loss of HMS Affray on 16 April 1951 was a tragic accident resulting in the loss of all 75 on board. While I fully sympathise with those families affected by the loss, I can see no reason to disagree with the findings of the Board of Inquiry undertaken at the time, or what purpose would be served by a new Inquiry.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Danish helicopter pilots have been trained on the Merlin Helicopter at RAF Benson; and for how many flight hours.

Nick Harvey: A total of eight Danish personnel comprising five pilots and three rear crewmen (air loadmasters) have trained on Merlin helicopters alongside their British counterparts at RAF Benson. The flying hours can be broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Merlin flying hours Simulator hours 
			 Pilot 1 723:15 84:00 
			 Pilot 2 355:50 131:30 
			 Pilot 3 351:40 133:00 
			 Pilot 4 694:15 78:30 
			 Pilot 5 378:15 225:45 
			 Crewman 1 599:20 65:15 
			 Crewman 2 309:25 140:45 
			 Crewman 3 299:05 110:30 
		
	
	
		
			 Total hours 3,711:05 969:15

Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Livingston of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 89W, on military bases: Kirknewton, on what dates he discussed the proposed creation of an Army base at Kirknewton; what the (a) names and (b) positions held are of those who attended the discussions; and whether a written record was taken of the discussions.

Nick Harvey: The creation of an Army base at Kirknewton was considered as part of the 2010 Basing review. The previous and current Secretaries of State for Defence have taken a detailed interest in the review and have held numerous discussions on the review with officials within the Ministry of Defence; with colleagues across Government, with local and national governments; and in response to representations from members of the public.

Military Bases

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries the UK has basing rights; and for how many bases in each such country.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 16 January 2012
	The UK has established basing agreements for its armed forces with a number of countries for operational and training purposes. The countries and number of locations in each country for which we have a basing agreement are set out as follows:
	Afghanistan—4 main operating bases
	Bahrain—1 location
	Belize—1 location
	Brunei—1 location
	Canada—1 location
	Germany—4 main garrison locations
	Kenya—3 locations
	Oman—1 location
	Qatar—1 location
	UAE—1 location
	These are in addition to bases operated by the UK in Cyprus, Gibraltar, Diego Garcia, Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands.

Navy: Manpower

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the retention rates were for (a) female and (b) male (i) officers and (ii) ratings in the Royal Navy in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested is not available. Information on Voluntary outflow, together with length of service information (although this is not available by gender) is available on the Defence Analytical Services and Advice website at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/apps/publications/pubViewFile.php?content=2710&date=2012-01-12&type=pdf&PublishTime=09:30:00

Radioactive Waste: Dalgety Bay

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Minister of State to visit Dalgety Bay; and whether he plans to meet representatives of the (a) local community council and (b) sailing club.

Andrew Robathan: I will be visiting Dalgety Bay at the end of January 2012. This visit will include meeting representatives of the local community council and sailing club.

Radioactive Waste: Dalgety Bay

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects his meeting with the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath to discuss radiation contamination at Dalgety Bay to take place.

Andrew Robathan: Estates matters such as the issue of radiation contamination at Dalgety Bay fall under my area of responsibility as Minister for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans. I will be visiting the site at the end of January 2012 to discuss the issue.

Radioactive Waste: Dalgety Bay

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will delineate the areas at Dalgety Bay where radiation contamination is believed to be present.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence remains committed to assisting the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in identifying areas where radioactive material is believed to be buried and delivering a credible investigation plan for Dalgety Bay.

Radioactive Waste: Dalgety Bay

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on acceptance of liability for remedial action in relation to radiation contamination at Dalgety Bay; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence policy on the acceptance of liability pertaining to alienated sites is set out in our Memorandum of Understanding with the Environment Agency and Joint Service Publication 418 volume 2 leaflet 2. Copies of these will be placed in the Library of the House.
	The MOD is currently considering the draft Summary of Evidence provided by Scottish Environment Protection Agency and is undertaking its own investigations.
	Until such time as our inquiries are completed the Ministry of Defence is not in a position to comment further on liability in relation to Dalgety Bay.

Security

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work his Department undertakes on (a) security management and (b) security prevention with (i) Canada, (ii) China, (iii) France, (iv) Belgium, (v) Ireland, (vi) Italy, (vii) Norway, (viii) Spain, (ix) Sweden, (x) Switzerland, (xi) Poland, (xii) India, (xiii) Russia, (xiv) Denmark, (xv) South Africa, (xvi) Turkey, (xvii) Mexico, (xviii) Japan, (xix) Germany, (xx) the US and (xxi) the Netherlands.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence has in place a number of bilateral relationships with the 21 countries listed by the right hon. Member, which allows it to address defence and security issues of mutual or common concern. These relationships range from Defence Attaches through to full Defence Treaties. I will write with the details on each. In addition, the UK's engagement in various multilateral forums, including the UN, NATO and the EU, further ensures that defence and security issues are regularly discussed with the majority of these nations.
	Security prevention is not a term used by the MOD or Her Majesty's Government. The Building Stability Overseas Strategy (BSOS) outlines HMG's approach to conflict prevention and sets out clear proposals for how we can improve the way we identify and prevent instability and conflict overseas by using our diplomatic, development, defence and security tools; and by working with our international partners.

Security

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the (a) security situation and (b) threat level in (i) Canada, (ii) China, (iii) France, (iv) Belgium, (v) Ireland, (vi) Italy, (vii) Norway, (viii) Spain, (ix) Sweden, (x) Switzerland, (xi) Poland, (xii) India, (xiii) Russia, (xiv) Denmark, (xv) South Africa, (xvi) Turkey, (xvii) Mexico, (xviii) Japan, (xix) Germany, (xx) the US and (xxi) the Netherlands.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence regularly feeds into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's travel advice which is a public central focal point for security and threat assessments including the 21 nations listed.

TREASURY

Adam Werritty

Jim Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) he, (b) officials of his Department and (c) special advisers in his Department have met Mr Adam Werritty on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (i) on his Department's premises and (ii) elsewhere.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 7 November 2011
	No meetings have taken place between Treasury Ministers or special advisers and Adam Werritty since May 2010.
	Information relating to officials' meetings is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Care Quality Commission: Redundancy Pay

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the monetary value of special severance payments notified to HM Treasury by the Care Quality Commission in each of the last three years.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 16 January 2012
	Special severance payments notified to HM Treasury by the Care Quality Commission over the last three years involved varying sums between £500 and £50,000, amounting to up to £107,000 in total.
	The Treasury's aim is to ensure payments are justifiable. The first part of this process is to assess whether settlement itself is justified (e.g. in the case of an employment tribunal claim, that legal advice indicates that the body would lose the case). The second part of the process then concentrates on whether the level of settlement is justified (again, in the case of employment tribunal claim, the comparator would the legal assessment of the likely tribunal award) and provides value for money (for the Exchequer as a whole, rather than simply the body concerned). The final part of the process is to consider whether lessons can be learned and systems improved to avoid future occurrences.

Children: Day Care

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider making childcare fully tax deductable; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: The Government currently have no plans to make child care fully tax deductable.
	The Government realises that the cost of child care is one of the most important factors for parents when considering returning to, or progressing in, work. However, providing universal free or subsidised child care is unaffordable. Allowing tax exemptions for child care would result in a shortfall of revenue, and mean either further reductions in spending or raising revenue elsewhere, for example through increasing overall tax limits to account for the loss. In a world with limited resources, the Government have to prioritise support for child care on those who need it most.

Devolution: Finance

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Barnett consequentials will accrue to each devolved administration from expenditure on the High Speed 2 rail network.

Danny Alexander: Allocations to the devolved Administrations are made in the form of block grants. It is not possible to identify consequentials for individual spending items within the total grant. Once the detailed budgeting and funding arrangements have been decided Barnett consequentials will be allocated in the normal way.

Import Duties: China

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent reports he has received of the underpricing of imports from China for the purposes of import duty evasion; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The European Commission has advised member states of concerns regarding the undervaluation of certain imports into the European Union from China. HMRC is working with its EU partners to establish the extent of the undervaluation. Where undervaluation is identified HMRC will take appropriate enforcement action.

Import Duties: China

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of loss of import duties through the underpricing of goods from China in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs do not have the estimate requested as they do not breakdown the information in this way. HMRC carries out regular audit checks on importers to ensure that they are declaring the correct value for their imports.

Insurance

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Financial Services Authority on mutual insurers and friendly societies in relation to with-profits business since May 2010. [R]

Mark Hoban: The Treasury has regular discussions with the Financial Services Authority on a wide range of insurance sector issues, including issues linked to mutual insurers and friendly societies. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Pensions

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Government Actuary Department's decision to reduce the limit on withdrawals from income drawdown pension schemes from 120 per cent. to 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The decision to reduce the maximum annual withdrawal limit for drawdown pensions from 120% to 100% of the value of a comparable annuity was taken by the Government following extensive public consultation on reforms to remove the effective requirement to purchase an annuity by age 75.
	The impact on people with income drawdown pension schemes is as follows:
	if younger than 75, their maximum income withdrawal is around 17% lower than it would otherwise have been and
	if aged 75 or over, their maximum income withdrawal is around 11% higher than it would otherwise have been.
	A Taxes Impact and Information Note for the measure was published on 9 December 2010 on the website of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Public Sector Debt

Frank Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the national debt can be attributed to each economic sector; and how much of the national debt is owed to each (a) country, (b) private company and (c) other organisation.

Chloe Smith: It is not possible to apportion Public Sector Net Debt to specific economic sectors. Debt reflects accumulated deficits, which in turn reflects the difference between total Government spending and whole-economy tax receipts.
	Data published by the Office for National Statistics and Bank of England shows that at end-September 2011:
	(a) The market value of gilt holdings by overseas investors totalled £354.7 billion (30.7% of the total stock);
	(b) The market value of gilt holdings by private companies (insurance companies, pension funds, bank, building societies, other financial institutions and private non-financial companies) totalled £571.7 billion (49.5% of the total stock); and
	(c) The market value of gilt holdings by other organisations (Bank of England Asset Purchase Facility, households. local authorities and public corporations) totalled £227.7 billion (19.7% of the total stock).

Renewable Energy: Scotland

Ian Davidson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding has been provided to the Scottish Government as Barnett consequentials as a result of expenditure on the promotion and use of renewable energy sources in each of the last five years.

Danny Alexander: Allocations to Scotland and the other devolved Administrations are made in the form of block grants. It is not possible to identify consequentials for individual spending items within the total grant.
	The following table contains the Barnett consequentials since 2009-10 in relation to changes to the budget of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 Budget 2009 21.8 5.7 — — — — 
			 Pre Budget Report 2009 0 4.0 — — — — 
			 2010 Spending Review — — 2.1 10.5 13.3 17.4 
			 Fossil Fuel Levy — — 103 0 0 0

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the monetary value is of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) contracts with (a) Teleperformance and (b) Sitel for 12-month trials of provision of telephony services in HMRC's contact centres in (i) Bathgate and (ii) Lillyhall;
	(2)  for what reason Teleperformance's advertisement for staff to work on the 12-month contract with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for telephone advice services from HMRC's contact centre in Bathgate is for permanent staff; and if he will make a statement.
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the contracts for 12-month trials of private sector telephony services in HM Revenue and Customs contact centres in Bathgate and Lillyhall.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 69W.
	The payment terms in each contract are commercially sensitive and it would not be appropriate to disclose them at this time. However I can confirm that HMRC have estimated the combined total cost to the public purse of both contracts over the expected 12 month life of the trial, to be around £4 million. The terms private sector companies decide to offer to potential employees when advertising private sector posts are matters for them and not for ministers nor HMRC.

Taxation: Bingo

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to reduce the level of gross profit tax levied on bingo club operators.

Chloe Smith: The Government keep all taxes under review and tax policy is made at Budget.

Taxation: Bingo

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the bingo industry on the relationship between bingo gross profits tax and total tax revenue from the gaming sector.

Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with, and receive representations from, a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Taxation: Bingo

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on bingo taxation.

Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Taxation: Bingo

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the rate of gross profit tax levied on (a) bingo clubs and (b) bookmakers; and for what reasons there is a difference between to two rates.

Chloe Smith: The rates of both general betting duty and bingo duty were set by the previous Government. Bingo duty is charged at 20% of gross profits and general betting duty is charged at 15% of gross profits. The March 2011 Budget left rates unchanged. All taxes, including gambling taxes, are kept under review.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the average tax underpayment calculated for those using the online self-assessment service.

David Gauke: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Travel: Insurance

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the insurance industry on affordability of travel insurance for people with secondary cancer which has been dormant for a prolonged period.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	I understand that some cover is available for people with cancer wishing to travel abroad and finding insurance is getting easier for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. Advice and information are available from industry and relevant cancer charities.

VAT: Sanitary Protection

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to reduce the level of VAT levied on sanitary products for women to zero per cent; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: It is not possible to reduce the rate of VAT on women's sanitary products to zero. The UK retains its zero rates of VAT under longstanding formal agreements with other member states. Under the terms of those agreements, we cannot extend the scope of existing zero rates nor introduce new ones. The current rate of VAT on women's sanitary products is 5%, the lowest rate allowed under our agreements with European partners.

Wealth

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have read The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials consider a wide range of views from a variety of sources to provide the historical and international context to the UK's economic policy.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will review the operation of the licence fee to ensure that the BBC's operations and expenditure in the West Midlands will continue to support the regional economy and creative arts.

Edward Vaizey: The Government supports regional television production as it benefits regional economies and is good for the UK's cultural diversity.
	Within the framework of the BBC Charter, however, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for Government to intervene. The BBC is required to meet quotas for television production outside of London but it is for the BBC to determine how the quotas are achieved.
	The BBC's Delivering Quality First (DQF) review includes a proposal to move factual programming for BBC television and Radio 4 out of Birmingham but to increase television production investment with independent producers in the Midlands. The Government awaits the conclusions of the DQF review with interest.
	The creative arts benefit from licence fee funding in a number of ways, for example, support for The Space, an exciting digital arts media project being run by the BBC in partnership with the Arts Council.

Departmental Manpower

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many speechwriters his Department employs at each pay grade.

John Penrose: This Department currently employs one speechwriter at Grade A (Civil Service Grade 7 equivalent). In addition to their role as a speechwriter, they also have responsibility for strategic communication.

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years.

John Penrose: The information in table 1 shows how much officials in this Department received in (a) performance related payments, (b) allowances and (c) other payments in additional to basic pay in each of the last two years.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			  Financial year 2009–10 Financial Year 2010-011 
			 Type of payment Total (£) Total (£) 
			 Performance related payments 608,587 735,259 
			 Allowances 344,294 366,100 
			 Other payments—overtime 229,663 61,996 
		
	
	The categories of payment that may be made available to officials are:
	(a) Performance  r elated  p ayments:
	These payments were made to employees for two purposes: in year payments to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations with small one-off payments, and performance related payments to reward highly successful performance over a whole appraisal year. Awards were made in line with Cabinet Office principles, Civil Service Pay guidelines on performance-related pay.
	There are a small number of people within the Department, primarily in Olympic related roles, who are employed on fixed term contracts with performance related elements.
	(b) Allowances:
	In addition to base salaries, allowances are paid to assist in the recruitment and retention of staff in certain specialist posts. Since 2009, the Department has used an allowance system in place of overtime for those staff working in ministerial offices.
	(a) Overtime:
	There are times when it may be necessary for employees to work overtime to meet business needs. Overtime is a short term measure to deal with a specific situation such as a backlog of work or exceptional pressure of work.
	The information in table 2 shows what the monetary value was of the 20 largest payments made in each of the last two years:
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 £ 
			  Type of payment 
			  Performance related payments Allowance Overtime 
			 Largest 20 payments  2010-11 2009-10 2010-11 2009-10 2010-11 2009-10 
			 1 187,500 49,500 4,000 4,000 4,850 2,484 
			 2 130,000 40,000 4,000 4,000 3,756 2,178 
			 3 20,000 12,500 4,000 4,000 3,658 2,160 
			 4 10,500 12,500 4,000 4,000 3,030 1,543 
			 5 10,500 12,500 4,000 4,000 2,445 1,489 
			 6 8,000 12,000 4,000 4,000 2,415 1,363 
			 7 8,000 11,000 4,000 4,000 2,131 1,342 
			 8 8,000 10,000 4,000 4,000 2,097 1,325 
			 9 8,000 10,000 4,000 4,000 2,076 1,277 
			 10 8,000 10,000 4,000 4,000 2,022 1,262 
			 11 8,000 10,000 4,000 4,000 1,930 1,244 
			 12 8,000 10,000 4,000 4,000 1,880 1,220 
			 13 7,300 10,000 4,000 4,000 1,859 1,041 
			 14 5,500 10,000 4,000 4,000 1,814 1000 
			 15 5,500 9,500 4,000 4,000 1,787 953 
			 16 5,500 8,000 4,000 4,000 1,701 923 
			 17 5,500 8,000 4,000 4,000 1,611 835 
			 18 5,500 8,000 4,000 4,000 1,594 817 
			 19 1,850 8,000 4,000 4,000 1,513 805 
			 20 1,600 8,000 4,000 4,000 1,419 798 
		
	
	We do not hold data centrally for our arm’s length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write directly to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham.
	Copies of the replies will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Responsibilities

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on how many occasions he has visited (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months; and whom he met on each such visit.

John Penrose: In 2011 the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), as part of a series of Local TV summits, visited Newport on 26 August, and both Glasgow and Belfast on 9 September. As part of the Summits, he met a range of interested parties, including established media organisations, new media entrants and community media groups. There were 100 attendees in Newport, 65 attendees in Glasgow and 60 attendees in Belfast. In addition, on 9 September he met the Scottish Minister for Culture and External Affairs to discuss broadband, local TV and Scottish broadcasting.

Departmental Work Experience

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what guidelines his Department issues to its non-departmental public bodies on the employment of unpaid interns.

John Penrose: This Department has not issued specific advice to its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) on the employment of unpaid interns. However, if advice is sought from the Department, NDPBs are referred to "The Common Best Practice Guide for High Quality Internships" published by the Gateways to the Professions Collaborative Forum, which can be found on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' website:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/higher-education/docs/c/11-1068-common-best-practice-code-for-quality-internships.pdf

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of claimants participating in the Atos Quality Survey in each region rated Atos Healthcare's performance as (a) very good, (b) good, (c) poor and (d) very poor in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011.

Chris Grayling: Unfortunately the information requested above is not available in the format requested.
	The answer could be provided in the requested format only at disproportionate costs exceeding the disproportionate cost limit of £800 for parliamentary questions.

EU Law

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the regulations his Department brought into force through (a) primary legislation, (b) secondary legislation and (c) other means originated from proposals by the European Commission in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Chris Grayling: The following new secondary legislation and legally binding guidance brought forward by my Department and brought into force in 2010 and 2011 originated from proposals made by the European Commission before 2010:
	The Occupational, Personal and Stakeholder Pensions (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/615);
	The Application of Pension Legislation to the National Employment Savings Trust Corporation Regulations (SI 2010/8);
	The Biocidal Products (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/745);
	The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1140);
	The Transfer of State Pensions and Benefits (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI
	2010/1825);
	The Occupational Pensions (Investment) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2161;
	The Application of Pension Legislation to the National Employment Savings Trust Corporation Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/673); and
	HSE publication EH40/2005: Workplace Exposure Limits.
	No new legislation or guidance has been brought into force by my Department which originated from European Commission proposals made in 2010 and 2011.

Remploy

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2012, Official Report, column 384W, on Remploy: social enterprises, how many requests to waive the recruitment freeze his Department has received from Remploy since the freeze began; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the freeze on the viability of factories bidding for contracts.

Maria Miller: Since the freeze on external recruitment across the civil service and its related non-departmental public bodies, the Department has received requests from Remploy to recruit externally across the business for 302 posts. Of these 35 were for the Enterprise Businesses and 25 of these were approved. Requests relating to the Enterprise Businesses have in the main been for management and business support posts, such as key account and sales managers. The remaining 267 requests relate to posts in Employment Services, of which 200 have been approved.
	I am not aware of any effect the freeze has had on the viability of factories bidding for contracts.

Social Security Benefits: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average total level of benefits received per household was in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: While information on DWP administered benefits is available at constituency level, we do not hold complete information on those benefits administered by other Government Departments and organisations. Restricting analysis to those benefits administered directly by DWP may present a misleading picture of benefit receipt. In addition, we estimate that developing an appropriate methodology and quality assuring any analysis of DWP administrative data would exceed disproportionate cost limits.
	According to the latest release of the Family Resource Survey (FRS), the median weekly household income from benefits and tax credits for households with at least one member in receipt of at least one benefit or tax credit in the United Kingdom in 2009-10 was £141. The sample size of the FRS is not large enough to provide robust estimates at the constituency or borough level.
	Notes
	1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest pound.
	2. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for tenure type, council tax band and a number of demographic variables.
	3. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-sampling bias.
	4. The FRS is known to under-record benefit receipt. Please see table M6 of Chapter 7 of the latest publication for more information:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/frs/2009_10/frs_2009_10_report.pdf
	5. These figures have not been adjusted to account for different household sizes.
	6. A household refers to a single person or group of people living at the same address as their only or main residence, who either share one meal a day together or share the living accommodation (i.e. a living room). A household will consist of one or more benefit units.

Unemployment: Graduates

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many graduates are registered as unemployed in each parliamentary constituency.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many graduates are registered as unemployed in each parliamentary constituency in the UK (90661).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Unfortunately the sample size does not support analyses of graduate unemployment at parliamentary constituency level.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employment and support allowance claimants in each region were asked to participate in the Atos Quality Survey (a) before learning the outcome of their work capability assessment and (b) after learning the outcome of their work capability assessment in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011.

Chris Grayling: Neither Atos Healthcare nor Wyman Dillon the market research company which carries out the Atos quality survey on their behalf know if a claimant has received the outcome of their work capability assessment when they participate in the survey as the entitlement to benefit decision is issued by the DWP.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 24 of Professor Malcolm Harrington's report An Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment—year two, what discussions he has had with the Tribunal Service on the provision of statistical information to the Harrington Review in relation to the monitoring of appeal outcomes within and between tribunals.

Chris Grayling: Professor Harrington has not, to date, asked the Department to request this statistical information on his behalf.
	As his second independent review makes clear Professor Harrington intends to continue to pursue his recommendations relating to the Tribunal Service over the coming year, including the monitoring of appeals outcomes within and between Tribunals.
	The Department supports this work and believe it could have a positive impact on the WCA process as a whole.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 10 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment, what progress has been made on the national implementation of the Decision Maker's Justification to all employment and support allowance claimants found not to have limited capability for work.

Chris Grayling: National implementation activity commenced in December 2011 to issue the Decision Maker's reasons to incapacity benefit (IB) reassessment and employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants found to have no limited capability for work following the WCA and disallowed ESA on and after 23 January 2012.
	The Decision Maker's Reasoning (previously referred to as Decision Maker's Justification) will provide these claimants with a clear explanation of the decision and all the evidence considered by the Decision Maker not just the Atos assessment. This along with the disallowance call, introduced as part of the ESA changes in October 2011, delivers the intended aim of Professor Harrington's year one recommendation.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 12 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment, if he will publish the proposals developed by Mind, Mencap and the National Autistic Society for refinements to the mental function descriptors of the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: We currently have no plans to formally publish the report submitted by Professor Harrington to us on the mental, intellectual and cognitive descriptors. Professor Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment contains a precis of the reports recommendations.
	A copy of the Mind, Mencap and the National Autistic Society report is available in the House Library.
	On 17 January 2012, Official  Report, column 654W, answers to questions PQ 90313 and PQ 90314 update on the progress with this work.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 13 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment, how many Quality Assessment Framework events have been held since July 2011, by region.

Chris Grayling: The Quality Assessment Framework was introduced in July for incapacity benefit (IB) reassessment decisions and in August for employment and support allowance (ESA) decisions. Since then quality checks on decisions have been completed and feedback and improvement discussions completed on a regular basis between managers and individual Decision Makers in order to improve the quality and consistency of decision making.
	In addition, to ensure the consistent application of standards in the Quality Assessment Framework, a national calibration exercise was held in November, followed by similar events at DWP Group level. These were timed to allow for the framework and checking regime to bed in.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 14 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, what steps his Department takes following the receipt of more than one C-grade assessment by an Atos-approved healthcare professional.

Chris Grayling: Atos are responsible for the performance management of their health care professionals. Any health care professional who generates a C grade report receives mandatory feedback. Subsequent action may include targeted audit or retraining if required. The DWP Chief Medical Adviser will revoke approval to carry out assessments if there is persistent failure to achieve a satisfactory standard, despite remedial action by Atos.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 16 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, what progress he has made in implementing recommendation one of Professor Harrington's year one recommendation.

Chris Grayling: Enhanced support for employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants was introduced via a phased national approach, which commenced in June and was completed on 31 October 2011. Claimants will benefit from a new letter explaining the WCA process; and a telephone call by the DWP Decision Maker to explain the decision made on their claim. DWP endorses Professor Harrington's year two recommendation to monitor the impact of the year one changes and evaluation is currently under way.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 16 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment, how many unannounced visits to (a) benefits delivery centres and (b) Atos medical assessment centres took place in each region in 2011.

Chris Grayling: Pages 24 and 25 of Professor Harrington's second independent review of the WCA cover his unannounced visits in 2011.
	He visited Gloucester and Merthyr Tydfil Benefit Delivery Centres. He did not make any unannounced visits to Atos sites.
	The Government accepted Professor Harrington's recommendation to make further unannounced visits to both Benefit Delivery Centres and Atos assessment centres in 2012. We will leave it to Professor Harrington to decide where and when he will make these visits, and look forward to his feedback on completed visits.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 17 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, when his Department's training products guidance and handbook sections were last updated following consultation with representative groups and their medical advisers.

Chris Grayling: The Revised WCA handbook was last revised on 4 October 2011 incorporating information from the Migraine Trust. The latest guidance to be developed in conjunction with a representative group was a distance learning module on violence against women and girls developed in conjunction with South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre that was issued in May 2011.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 18 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, on what date he plans to publish part one of his Department's research into what happens to people found fit for work, and those placed in work related activity and support groups.

Chris Grayling: We plan to publish the research on 27 January. It will be available on the DWP website.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 18 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, if he will publish the results of the monitoring of free text by Atos Healthcare.

Chris Grayling: DWP has no current plans to publish the results of the monitoring of free text by Atos.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 18 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, when he last received a report from Atos Healthcare of the results into the use of free text.

Chris Grayling: DWP has not received any reports from Atos of the results into the use of free text as this is not information that Atos is currently asked or required to provide.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 18 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, on how many occasions he received a report from Atos Healthcare of the results into the use of free text in 2011.

Chris Grayling: DWP has not received any reports from Atos of the results into the use of free text as this is not information that Atos is currently asked or required to provide.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 19 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's Second Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, what assessment he has made of the recruitment and retention of Atos-approved healthcare professionals.

Chris Grayling: The recruitment and retention of Atos Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals continues to be monitored on a monthly basis. The monthly report tracks progress against recruitment and retention targets. Presently, Atos Healthcare is providing a good level of priority to recruitment and retention, although with regards to recruitment there are challenging geographical areas where actions are in place to resolve these during 2012.

Work Capability Assessments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 20 of the Government's response to Professor Malcolm Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment, what (a) his timetable is for and (b) progress he has made on evaluating the customer journey.

Chris Grayling: The changes to the employment and support allowance (ESA) customer journey, introduced nationally from 31 October 2011, provides additional support to individuals via a new letter explaining the WCA process; and a telephone call by the Decision Maker to explain the decision made on their claim. A phased national implementation approach enabled the evaluation of these changes prior to national rollout to ensure they would deliver improvements to the customer experience.
	National rollout will enable more robust evaluation to be completed, which will enable DWP to identify further improvements and findings will feed into Professor Harrington's year three review.

TRANSPORT

Coventry Gateway Project

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has had recent discussions with Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) on the (a) funding allocated to the Tollbar Island in the Autumn Statement and (b) work of the LEP on the Coventry Gateway project; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Autumn Statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), confirmed the A45/A46 Tollbar End improvement scheme as one of six major projects to be brought forward for construction earlier than previously planned, subject to the completion of statutory processes where applicable.
	Ministers have had no discussions with Coventry and Warwickshire LEP on this subject. However, senior officials from the Department for Transport, Highways Agency, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Department for Communities and Local Government met with representatives of the promoters of the Coventry Gateway project and Coventry and Warwickshire LEP in December. The potential interaction of the A45 Tollbar End improvement and the Coventry Gateway project was discussed. It was agreed that the Highways Agency would have further detailed discussions with the promoters with the aim of ensuring that the two projects are compatible.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to require operators of Showmen's vehicles and Showmen's goods vehicles to obtain an operator's licence; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Showman's goods vehicles and any trailer drawn by them are exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing. The Government have no plans to change this.

Motor Vehicles: Lighting

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to raise awareness of road safety standards on correct use of headlights by vehicles in rain, snow and low-light.

Michael Penning: There are no current plans to raise, awareness of road safety standards regarding the correct use of headlights by vehicles in rain, snow and low-light. The Highways Agency's winter campaign includes a call to “Make sure your lights are clean and check the bulbs”:
	http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/33230.aspx
	The Highway Code also provides information for drivers when driving in adverse conditions.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect on employment in Scotland of the proposed changes to MOT tests;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of MOT tests which will be carried out in Scotland each year after the implementation of her proposed changes to MOT tests;
	(3)  how many MOT testing stations there are in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in Scotland;
	(4)  how many MOT tests were conducted in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in Scotland in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many MOT testers are registered in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in Scotland;
	(6)  what assessment she has made of the economic impact in (a) Scotland and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency of the proposed changes to MOT tests;
	(7)  what estimate she has made of the likely change in the number of (a) MOT testers and (b) MOT test centres in Scotland following the proposed changes to MOT tests.

Michael Penning: I expect to make an announcement soon about the timing and scope of a review of the MOT.
	No assessment has been made of the effect on employment in Scotland or on the economic impact in (a) Scotland and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency with regard to any potential changes to MOT tests.
	No estimate has been made of the number of MOT tests which will be carried out in Scotland each year or the likely change in the number of (a) MOT testers and (b) MOT test centres in Scotland with regard to any potential changes to MOT tests.
	With regard to the number of MOT testing stations, MOT tests conducted and MOT testers registered in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in Scotland; the information requested is not processed in constituency or regional format and would invoke disproportionate cost.

Motorways: Speed limits

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department plans to put in place to offset the increase in emissions attributable to any increase in the motorway speed limit.

Michael Penning: We are assessing all the principal effects of raising the national speed limit on motorways and on some all-purpose trunk roads which are close to motorway standard. Our assessments include estimates of fuel use and carbon emissions. We will include these estimates as part of the documentation for the planned consultation.
	We are also delivering progressive cuts in transport carbon emissions through a range of measures set out in our Carbon Plan published on 1st December 2011. For example, new cars sold in 2020 are projected to emit around a third less carbon than the current average. A link to the Government's Carbon Plan can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/carbon_plan/carbon_plan.aspx
	The Strategic Framework for Road safety sets out a series of measures we are doing to improve road safety.

Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effects of the closure of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge on traffic levels in Thurrock on 4 January 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: On 4 January the QEII Bridge was closed during the evening from 21.43 and reopened at 17.09 on 5 January. The effects of the closure on traffic levels in Thurrock on 4 January would therefore have been minimal.
	Within Thurrock the Highways Agency are responsible for the M25, A282, A13 and A1089 trunk roads on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport as highway authority. During each of the bridge closures traffic levels were monitored on the M25/A282.
	There are no cameras or other equipment along the A13 or A1089 to monitor traffic levels, however, the Highways Agency was aware of morning peak hour queuing on the A13 westbound in the Thurrock area which resulted from the reduction in capacity at the Dartford-Thurrock crossing.
	Monitoring of traffic levels on other roads within Thurrock is undertaken by the local highway authority, Thurrock council.

Roads: Accidents

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involved incorrect use of headlights as a contributory factor in Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010.

Michael Penning: Information specifically on the “incorrect use of headlights” as a contributory factor in road accidents is not collected by the Department. However, the following table shows the number of reported personal injury road accidents in the West Midlands which had “dazzling headlights” or “not displaying lights at night or in poor visibility” recorded as a contributory factor, over the period 2008-10. To protect the privacy of those involved in accidents, information on contributory factors is not released below former Government Office Region level.
	Contributory factors are reported only for injury road accidents where a police officer attended the scene and reported at least one contributory factor. These factors are largely subjective, reflecting the attending officer's opinion at the time of reporting. It is recognised that subsequent inquiries could lead to the reporting officer changing their opinion.
	
		
			 Reported personal injury road accidents (1)  involving “dazzling headlights” or “not displaying lights at night or in poor visibility” as a contributory factor in the West Midlands, 2008-10 
			  2008 2009 2010 
			 Not displaying lights at night or in poor visibility 52 45 36 
			 Dazzling headlights 35 35 26 
			 (1 )Includes only accidents where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported.

Roads: Greater London

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the relationship between local authorities in London and Transport for London on plans to devolve decision making on the classification of local roads.

Norman Baker: holding answer 12 January 2012
	Under the new system for road classification, responsibility for classification rests with the local highway authority. In London this is shared between the borough and City authorities, and Transport for London.
	Local highway authorities should secure agreement to classification changes from other affected local highway authorities. Vesting co-ordinating responsibility in Transport for London would be a matter for the authorities involved, and would be perfectly acceptable. An appeals process will be available to local authorities and others.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether her Department takes account of foreign exchange rate risk between the bid and financial close of each batch for each bidder for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Programme;
	(2)  if she will estimate the extent of any risk to her Department from fluctuations in the exchange rate in respect of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Programme; and whether her Department has estimated the range of potential risks that relate to different exchange rate levels.

Theresa Villiers: The Department performs sensitivity analysis of exchange rate movements, and their repercussions on contract awards, on an ongoing basis.

Transport: Subsidies

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many representations she has received from (a) hon. Members and (b) others concerning the withdrawal of discretionary transport subsidies;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the total expenditure on discretionary transport subsidies in each of the last three years;
	(3)  which local authorities have (a) withdrawn and (b) reduced the level of discretionary transport subsidies in England over the last five years.

Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Education.
	The Department does not require or collect any information from local authorities or other sources on levels of total expenditure on discretionary transport support. We regularly receive letters and other information from Members of Parliament, which cover home to school transport as well as other policy areas. We do not hold records on how many such requests are specifically about the withdrawal of discretionary transport subsidies.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to reply to question 88707, tabled on 20 December 2011, on roads.

Michael Penning: I answered this question on 11 January 2012, Official Report, column 310W.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biomass

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of his Department's policy to incentivise co-firing, conversion and dedicated biomass on wood fuel resources.

Gregory Barker: As part of our consultation on the renewables obligation banding review, DECC published a partial impact assessment which included consideration of the impact of its proposals on sustainably-sourced wood fuel resources. Resource supply scenarios indicate that by 2020 global woody bioenergy resource that could be available for use by the UK bioenergy industry could be in the region of 170-515 TWh. Modelling for the renewables obligation banding review suggests approximately 110 TWh of woody fuels will be required for conversion, co-firing and dedicated biomass in 2020.
	The consultation closed on 12 January. DECC intends to publish the Government response and full impact assessment in the spring, informed by the submissions received and the conclusions of the cross-Government bio-energy strategy, due in March. The strategy will set out a strategic framework for the use of bioenergy to 2020 and is examining three main issues:
	The availability of sustainably sourced feedstocks to 2020 and beyond;
	The potential impacts (economic and carbon) of using biomass in the energy sector including for alternative uses for bio-resources; and
	The most appropriate use of biomass feedstocks in the energy sector (electricity, heat and transport) to 2020 and beyond taking into account wider Government objectives such as cost-effectiveness, carbon abatement potential, renewables targets and security of supply.

Energy

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost per kWh is for (a) solar, (b) offshore wind, (c) onshore wind and (d) nuclear power generation; and what estimate his Department has made of such costs in 2020.

Gregory Barker: DECC commissioned Arup consultants to assess the generation costs of renewable electricity generation technologies and Parsons Brinckerhoff consultants to assess the generation costs of non-renewable technologies.
	The Arup and PB reports(1) quote the following projected levelised costs of electricity per MWh for 2011 and 2017, using a 10% discount rate, for solar, offshore wind, onshore wind and nuclear:
	
		
			 Levelised costs of electricity, 10% discount rate (based on Arup and PB reports) 
			 £/MWh 
			 Technology Levelised cost with 2011 project start Levelised cost with 2017 project start 
			 Solar PV 314.3 240.8 
			 Offshore wind Round 2 121.6 105.7 
			 Offshore wind Round 3 147.5 122.4 
			 Onshore wind >5MW 90.2 87.5 
			 Nuclear 74.1 (FOAK) 64.9 (NOAK) 
			 Note: FOAK refers to first-of-a-kind and NOAK to nth-of-a-kind plants 
		
	
	Since then, Cambridge Economic Policy Associates (CEPA) and Parsons Brinckerhoff have produced a report(2) for DECC updating assumptions for solar PV costs to inform the recent consultation on feed in tariffs for solar PV. This analysis was used in the impact assessment supporting the consultation.
	(1) Arup (2011), Review of the generation costs and deployment potential of renewable electricity generation technologies in the UK and Parsons Brinckerhoff (2011) Electricity Generation Cost Model—2011 Update. Both are available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/analytic_projs/gen_costs/gen_costs.aspx
	(2) CEPA and Parsons Brinckerhoff (2011), Updates to the Feed-in tariffs model, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3365-updates-to-fits-model-doc.pdf

Energy

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the level of public subsidy received by the (a) solar, (b) onshore wind, (c) offshore wind, (d) biomass and (e) carbon capture and storage industry; and what proportion of such subsidies are funded out of (i) consumer energy bills and (ii) general taxation.

Gregory Barker: The deployment of large-scale renewable electricity generation is supported by the renewables obligation (RO) introduced in 2002. The RO places an obligation on electricity suppliers and it is expected they will pass the cost of this obligation onto their various energy customers through their electricity bills. The total level of support provided by the RO in 2010-11 was £1,285 million. Estimates have not be made for the amount of RO support received by different types of technologies in 2010-11.
	Small-scale (less than 5 mega watts) low-carbon electricity generation is supported by the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme introduced on 1 April 2010. The FITs scheme is funded by the electricity suppliers and it is expected that the costs are ultimately passed on to electricity consumers. The total level of support provided by the FITs scheme in 2010-11 was £14.4 million. Estimates are not available on the amount of FITs support received by different types of technologies.
	Approximately £37.7 million has been paid to the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industry to support Front-End Engineering and Design studies as part of the CCS demonstration programme since it was established to the end of October 2011. This has been funded from general taxation. In addition £3.1 million, funded from general taxation, was spent by DECC to support a range of research and development grants for Carbon Abatement Technologies, including CCS, in 2010-11.
	DECC and a number of other bodies also receive funding from general taxation to support the research, development and demonstration of other low carbon technologies. An annual expenditure return on total low carbon technology expenditure is made to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The return does not differentiate between offshore and onshore wind and expenditure on biomass is covered under the bio-energy group of technologies. Early estimated expenditure figures provided to the IEA for 2010-11 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Solar 14.64 
			 Onshore and offshore wind 63.23 
			 Bio-energy 31.24

Energy Performance Certificates

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he gave to including the mandatory roll-out of display energy certificates to non-residential buildings in the Carbon Plan.

Gregory Barker: The Government considered a wide range of policy options in formulating the Carbon Plan.
	The Carbon Plan notes that display energy certificates (DECs) are required for (non-residential) buildings occupied by a public authority that are larger than 1,000 m(2) and are frequently visited by the public. In addition, the Government are also taking further action and are working with the commercial sector to encourage voluntary take-up in commercial buildings.
	The role of DECs will soon be complemented with the introduction of the Green Deal.

Energy: Prices

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with energy companies on the cost of energy for vulnerable customers; which companies were involved in any such discussions; and when and where any such discussions took place.

Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers and officials meet energy companies on a regular basis to discuss a range of market issues.
	DECC is committed to helping people, especially low-income vulnerable households, heat their homes more affordably. This winter we are working with energy suppliers to deliver the Warm Home Discount scheme; we are also providing heating and insulation measures through Warm Front; and developing our proposals for Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which EU (a) directives, (b) regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department require transposition into UK law; and what estimate he has made of the cost to (i) the public purse and (ii) the private sector of such measures.

Gregory Barker: DECC has lead responsibility for the following adopted directives which require further measures to complete their transposition into UK law:
	Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
	Directive 2009/29/EC to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the Community
	Directive 2009/72/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity
	Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in gas
	Directive 2009/31/EC on the geological storage of carbon dioxide
	Directive 2009/119/EC imposing an obligation to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products
	Directive 2011/70/EURATOM establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste
	This list does not include directives for which DECC is not the lead Department or for which no further measures are considered necessary to complete their transposition into UK law.
	EU regulations which may require implementing measures and for which DECC is the lead Department have not been included. Although modifications to UK legislation may be necessary as part of their implementation process, the provisions of EU regulations do not generally require transposition.
	DECC does not hold a central register of other EU legislation which may require further measures to complete their transposition into UK law, but we have identified the following:
	Commission Decision 2011/13/EU on certain types of information about biofuels and bioliquids to be submitted by economic operators to member states. This Commission Decision was made under directive 2009/28/EC.
	Where relevant, a published impact assessment will provide an estimate of costs at the time of the transposition of directives. Impact assessments for directive 2009/28/EC, directive 2009/72/EC, directive 2009/73/EC and directive 2009/31/EC can be found at:
	http://www.ialibrary.bis.gov.uk/uploaded/1_20090715120705_e_@@_UKRenewableEnergyStratey2009 OverallImpactAssessmenturn09D683150609.pdf
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/govt_response/govt_response.aspx
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_co2_stor/cons_co2_stor.aspx
	Directive 2009/29/EC is due for transposition by 31 December 2012 and an impact assessment will be published in the spring.
	Directive 2009/119/EC replaces an existing directive (2006/67/EC) imposing an obligation to hold minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products, and needs to be transposed by 31 December 2012. An impact assessment is in preparation for planned publication in the spring.
	The directive 2011/70/EURATOM establishing a community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste needs to be transposed by July 2013. DECC will be producing the transposition table and accompanying impact assessment during the summer of 2012.

Feed-in Tariffs

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department plans to spend on feed-in tariffs in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

Gregory Barker: Estimates of future costs of solar PV, which make up the bulk of the total cost of the FITs scheme, are extremely uncertain. DECC is currently reviewing its estimates in the light of responses to the current consultation on PV tariffs as well as other recent changes in the market, and will provide updated assessments for the final impact assessments published alongside the post-consultation policy response.

Solar Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2011, Official Report, column 216W, on solar power, whether his Department made any assumptions on the potential change in energy use in households that have installed solar PV under the feed-in tariff prior to the announcement of changes to the scheme.

Gregory Barker: We have no robust quantitative evidence from the FITs scheme to date about behavioural change in households that install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, DECC is currently considering what further evidence may be needed in relation to the effects of installing microgeneration technologies on household energy use.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Equality

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what equality impact assessments his Department has carried out since May 2010; and for what purpose in each case.

Alan Duncan: Equality impact assessments since May 2010:
	Closure of Development Awareness Fund Projects, Communications Division
	Festivals Outreach Activity, Communications Division
	Overseas Allowance and Travel Review, HR
	Voluntary Redundancy scheme for SCS, HR
	Chapter Phase 1 and 2, Information Systems
	DFID Pakistan: Restructure to deliver against ministerial priorities, portfolio review and BAR offer
	Global Partnerships Department Change Process, Global Partnerships Department
	IAD Restructure Process, Internal Audit
	Termination of UCL Governance and Transparency Grant, Civil Society Department
	HR Passport, HR
	Bilateral Aid Review
	Voluntary Redundancy scheme and Voluntary Exit scheme
	In compliance with the guidance given on the Equality Act 2010, DFID streamlined its process away from Equality Impact Assessments to make it less bureaucratic during 2011. It introduced Equality screening as a method that is less burdensome and more outcomes focussed. This will identify and address specific equalities requirements in people management and service delivery. The results can then be summarised in annual equality and diversity information reports.

Food Aid

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to endorse the Save the Children Charter to End Extreme Hunger;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to endorse the Charter to End Extreme Hunger.

Alan Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the written answers I gave to the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns), on 17 December 2011, Official Report, column 656W.

JUSTICE

Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has commissioned to measure the subjective well-being of children.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has not commissioned any research which directly measures the subjective wellbeing of children. However, the department has commissioned and published a number of studies which indirectly consider children's wellbeing. These are listed as follows:
	(1) Giovannini, E. (2011). Outcomes of Family Justice Children's Proceedings—a Review of the Evidence. Ministry of Justice, London:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/outcomes-family-justice.htm
	(2) Cassidy, D., and Davey, S. (2011). Family Justice and Children's Proceedings—Review of Public and Private Law Case Files in England and Wales. Ministry of Justice, London:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/family-justice-children.htm
	(3) Masson, J., Pearce, J. and Bader, K. (2008) Care profiling study. Bristol: University of Bristol. Ministry of Justice Research Series, No, 4/08:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/care-profiling-study.pdf
	(4) Trinder, L. and Kellett, J. (2007) The longer-term outcomes of in-court conciliation. Ministry of Justice Research Series, No. 15/07, London.
	(5) Trinder, L., Connolly, J., Kellet, J., Notley, C. and Swift, L. (2006), Making contact happen or making contact work? The process and outcomes of in-court conciliation, DCA Research Series, No. 3/2006, London.
	(6) Trinder. L., Connolly, J., Kellett. J. and Notley. C (2005) A Profile of Applicants and Respondents in Contact Cases in Essex. DCA Research Series 1/05, London.
	(7) Smart, C, May, V., Wade, A. and Furniss, C. (2005) Residence and contact disputes in court: Volume 2. DCA Research Series, No. 4/2005.
	(8) Smart, C, May, V., Wade, A. and Furniss, C. (2003) Residence and contact disputes in court: Volume 1. DCA Research Series, No. 6/2003.
	Where web links are not provided, reports are available on request from MOJ.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for criminal injuries compensation were received in each year since 1997.

Jonathan Djanogly: Figures covering the specified period are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of applications 
			 1997-98 77,036 
			 1998-99 78,651 
			 1999-2000 78,742 
			 2000-01 76,630 
			 2001-02 78,272 
			 2002-03 73,928 
			 2003-04 70,595 
			 2004-05 66,290 
			 2005-06 63,078 
			 2006-07 60,861 
			 2007-08 53,290 
			 2008-09 57,753 
			 2009-10 65,445 
			 2010-11 61,292

Departmental Apprentices

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many apprentices were employed by his Department between (a) April 2010 and March 2011 and (b) April and December 2011; and how many apprenticeships his Department will sponsor between (i) January and March 2012 and (ii) April and March 2013.

Kenneth Clarke: April 2010 to March 2011 and April 2011 to December 2011 were periods of major restructuring and downsizing in the Ministry of Justice. We were unable to run any external apprentice recruitment campaigns as we did not have any vacancies which were suitable for apprenticeships during this period.
	The Ministry of Justice has a well established programme of apprenticeships for its staff. The Ministry will continue to use apprenticeships to raise the skills and capability of existing staff by offering opportunities to develop transferable skills and support future recruitment.
	The numbers of internal apprentices employed by the Ministry is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of starters per year Running total 
			 2008-09 321 321 
			 2009-10 412 733 
			 2010-11 503 1,236 
			 2011-12(1) 583 1,819 
			 (1 )To date. 
		
	
	For the period January to March 2012, the Ministry has plans to sponsor 108 apprenticeships.
	Officials are working with Civil Service HR and Civil Service Learning to agree the Ministry's commitment for the period from April 2012 to March 2013.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on carbon offsetting since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: In October 2010 the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) purchased carbon credits for MOJ's air travel totalling £29,809.09. This figure covers air travel in the period of April 2009 to March 2010 plus 80% of forward purchases for April 2010—March 2011. The figure covers the main department MOJ (including the National Offender Management Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service) and The National Archives and HM Land Registry (before the latter's move to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in July 2011).

Departmental NDPBs

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 278W, on non-government organisations, for what reason the (a) Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, (b) Administrative Justice and Tribunal Council, (c) Office of the Information Commissioner, (d) Judicial Appointments Commission and (e) Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses received a reduction in funding from his Department in 2011-12 as compared to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The 2010 spending review required savings from the Ministry of Justice of well over £2 billion annually by the end of 2014-15. Some of these savings will be made through reform and efficiencies within the core Department. However, we are also working with our arm's length bodies to ensure that they produce comprehensive savings plans which demonstrate how they will contribute to the Ministry's savings while still delivering the required level of service.
	We are also looking at a number of ways that the Ministry can run shared services for our arm's length bodies in line with the Ministry's operating model. This will produce further efficiencies to ensure we are getting the best value for money we can from our support functions.
	The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority received an additional one off amount of £72 million in 2010-11. This funding allowed them to settle a backlog of cases.

Departmental Official Visits

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of official visits undertaken by (a) him and (b) each Minister in his Department in 2011.

Kenneth Clarke: I have provided costs of official visits for Ministers in the Ministry of Justice in the following table. These totals relate to costs incurred by ministerial offices for all external visits to non-Ministry of Justice sites and international visit for the period 1 January to 31 December 2011.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Minister Total costs of domestic visits to non-M O J sites Total costs of international visits Combined total cost 
			 Kenneth Clarke 83.07 23,115.29 23,198.36 
			 Lord McNally 1,311.02 12,447.66 13,758.68 
			 Nick Herbert 308 0 308 
			 Crispin Blunt 1,275.35 8,066.11 9,341.46 
			 Jonathan Djanogly 291.11 0 291.11 
			 Total 3,268.55 43,629.06 46,897.61 
		
	
	These totals include costs associated with these visits such as travel and accommodation and also include costs incurred by accompanying staff where this applies.

Fishing Catches: Fines

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average fine was for over-fishing in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for over-fishing in each (i) police area and (ii) harbour in each of the last 10 years; under what legislation each was convicted; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not all the circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information, of those proceedings under the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967, offences specifically related to over-fishing.

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme in December 2011; in which constituency each such suspected victim was found; which agency referred each case; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: In December 2011 there were 21 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by The Salvation Army. Details are provided in the following table. In the interests of victim safety the region in which the victim was encountered is provided rather than the parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Referring organisation 
			 Latvian Female South West Police 
			 Romanian Female West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male South West NGO 
			 Polish Female South West NGO 
			 Polish Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Albanian Female West Midlands UKBA 
			 N/K Female South East Self-referral 
			 Somali Female South East Social Services 
			 Romanian Female West Midlands NHS 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire UK.BA 
			 Equatorial Guinean/Spanish Female East NGO 
			 Nigerian Female London Legal Representative 
			 Slovakian Female North West Self-referral 
			 Somali Female West Midlands Police 
			 British Female North West Police 
			 Bangladeshi Female South East NGO 
			 Bulgarian Female South East Police 
			 Nigerian Female West Midlands UKHTC 
			 Bangladeshi Female South East UKBA 
			 Bulgarian Female South East NGO 
			 Romanian Female West Midlands Police

Import Duties: Tax Evasion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for import duty evasion in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for fraudulent evasion of import duty in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring.
	The figures shown in the table reflect all types of import duty evasion and not just those in relation to Customs regimes.
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for fraudulent evasion of import duty, England and Wales, 2006-10 (1,2,3,4) 
			 Defendants 
			  2006 2007 2008 (5) 2009 2010 
			 Offences Proceeded Convicted Proceeded Convicted Proceeded Convicted Proceeded Convicted Proceeded Convicted 
			 Fraudulent evasion of import duty other than drugs and firearms(6) 423 348 236 276 309 262 272 235 273 185 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Convictions for an offence may exceed prosecutions in the same year, as defendants may have a committal hearing at magistrates courts in one reporting period and convicted at the Crown court in the next. The principal offence selected may also change during a set of proceedings. (4) The figures shown in the table reflect all types of import duty evasion and not just those in relation to Customs regimes. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (6) Offences under sections 50 (2) and (3), 68 (2), and 170 (1) and (2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 except where the goods concerned are drugs or firearms. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Offenders: Bank Services

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of prisoners who do not have a bank account upon their release.

Crispin Blunt: Details of the numbers of prisoners with bank accounts is not routinely collected, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by collecting information held on individual prisoner records, and then collating it in a common format in order to provide a response.
	Past evaluations conducted by the Legal Service Research Centre and Liverpool John Moores university found that the range of prisoners surveyed without access to a bank account or other financial products was between 40% and 69%.

Prisoners’ Home Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests on behalf of restricted patients to be (a) discharged and (b) permitted periods of unescorted leave have been made in each of the last five years; how many such requests were (i) granted and (ii) refused; and how many such restricted patients have a record of committing (A) sexual offences and (B) violent offences.

Crispin Blunt: Higher courts may add a restriction order when making a hospital order if they are satisfied that this is necessary for the protection of the public from serious harm. A high proportion of restricted patients will have a conviction for sexual or violent offence.
	Under the Mental Health Act 1983 (the 1983 Act), a restricted patient may be discharged either by the First-tier Mental Health Tribunal or by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke). Restricted patients have the right to a review of their detention by the Tribunal every 12 months. The Tribunal will consider evidence presented by the Responsible Clinician for the restricted patient, alongside other clinical evidence. The Tribunal must discharge the patient if it is not satisfied that it is necessary for the protection of the patient or other that the patient be detained in hospital for treatment for a mental disorder.
	The Secretary of State will discharge restricted patients into the community only if he is satisfied, based on the clinical evidence presented, that the patient no longer requires treatment in hospital and that arrangements for his safe management in the community have been made.
	It is not possible to provide the information requested relating to requests for (a) discharge or (b) unescorted leave prior to 4 March 2009, the date on which an electronic caseworking system was introduced. To do so would require manual checks of 4,127 files for 196 days at disproportionate cost.
	Under the 1983 Act, no restricted patient may have leave in the community without the permission of the Secretary of State. Permission for such leave is usually given at the discretion of the Responsible Clinician who is responsible for determining the frequency, duration and destination of such leave. Permission for unescorted community leave is granted only if, on the basis of the clinical evidence available, the Secretary of State is satisfied that such leave can be taken without putting others at risk.
	The number of requests to discharge restricted patients into the community received and granted from 4 March 2009 to end December 2011 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Discharge 
			  Request for discharge Discharge agreed Discharge refused 
			 4 March 2009 to 31December 2009 74 64 10 
			 2010 110 92 18 
			 2011 104 87 17 
		
	
	The number of requests to grant permission to responsible clinicians for unescorted community leave to restricted patients from 4 March 2009 to end December 2011 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Unescorted leave 
			  Request for unescorted community leave Permission granted Permission refused 
			 4 March 2009 to 31 December 2009 1,439 1,309 130 
			 2010 1,756 1,574 182 
			 2011 1,446 1,209 237 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide the information requested on the number of restricted patients who have been discharged or granted unescorted leave in each of the last five years who have a record of committing sexual or violent offences, without a manual check of over 6,000 files for 150 days at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners’ Home Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many restricted patients were granted unescorted leave in each of the last five years; how many such patients committed offences while on unescorted leave; and what the name and location is of each secure unit from which such patients were on leave.

Crispin Blunt: Under the Mental Health Act 1983, no restricted patient may have leave in the community without the permission of the Secretary of State. Permission for such leave is usually given at the discretion of the Responsible Clinician who is responsible for determining the frequency, duration and destination of such leave. Permission for unescorted community leave is granted only if, on the basis of the clinical evidence available, the Secretary of State is satisfied that such leave can be taken without putting others at risk.
	It is not possible to provide the information requested relating to requests for unescorted leave prior to 4 March 2009, the date on which an electronic caseworking system was introduced. To do so would require manual checks of over 2,500 files for 60 days at disproportionate cost.
	It is also not possible to provide the information required on any offences committed while on unescorted leave or on the units from which these patients were permitted leave. To do so would require manual checks of over 6,500 files for 155 days at disproportionate cost.
	The number of decisions to give Responsible Clinicians permission to grant unescorted community leave to restricted patients from 4 March 2009 to end December 2011 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Permission granted 
			 4 March 2009-31 December 2009 1,309 
			 2010 1,574 
			 2011 1,209

Secure Accommodation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many restricted patients there were in secure premises in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Restricted patients may be detained in any hospital. Almost all restricted patients will be detained in secure psychiatric hospitals. However, patients who no longer present a risk to others may be detained on rehabilitation or open wards.
	The number of restricted patients detained in hospital in each of the past five years was as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of restricted patients detained in hospital at end of year 
			 2007 3,911 
			 2008 4,000 
			 2009 4,340 
			 2010 4,446 
			 2011 4,390

Sentencing

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of custodial sentence was in each year between 1995 and 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The average length of custodial sentence received at all courts in England and Wales in each year between 1995 and 2010 (latest currently available) is shown in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring.
	
		
			 Average custodial sentence length received for all offences at all courts In England and Wales in each year between 1995 and 2010 
			  Year 
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 (1) 2009 2010 
			 Average custodial sentence length(2) (months) 12.0 12.8 12.7 11.8 11.5 11.4 11.8 12.6 12.6 12.9 12.6 12.4 12.4 13.3 13.7 13.7 
			 (1) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April. July and August 2008. (2) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. Notes: 1. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice

HEALTH

Alzheimer's Disease: Drugs

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of prescription is of anti-Alzheimer's drugs per weighted population in each individual primary care trust in England.

Simon Burns: The number of prescription items dispensed, by primary care trust (PCT), for the latest available 12-month period, November 2010 and October 2011, is given in the following table, together with the rate per thousand of PCT weighted population formula for 2011-12.
	
		
			 Number of prescription items for medicines to treat Alzheimer's disease that were prescribed in England and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom, by PCT, November 2010 to October 2011 (1,2,3) 
			 Primary care trust Prescription items Rate per thousand weighted population (4) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 10,202 27.3 
		
	
	
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,998 36.7 
			 Barnet 12,111 41.8 
			 Barnsley 12,445 40.8 
			 Bassetlaw 4,064 32.3 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 9,176 57.3 
			 Bedfordshire 8,642 22.5 
			 Berkshire East 948 2.8 
			 Berkshire West 591 1.6 
			 Bexley Care Trust 6,289 31.2 
			 Birmingham East and North 943 2.1 
			 Blackburn with Darwen CTP 4,125 23.2 
			 Blackpool 10,445 57.2 
			 Bolton 8,048 26.6 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 7,662 22.9 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 17,134 31.2 
			 Brent Teaching 4,506 18.9 
			 Brighton and Hove City 9,122 39.4 
			 Bristol 16,393 40.1 
			 Bromley 8,009 29.2 
			 Buckinghamshire 8,709 20.3 
			 Bury 5,053 25.5 
			 Calderdale 7,083 32.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 18,763 35.4 
			 Camden 4,578 24.8 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 9,414 20.0 
			 Central Lancashire 12,635 25.7 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 2,314 10.9 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 12,831 21.3 
			 County Durham 23,571 35.9 
			 Coventry Teaching 6,989 21.0 
			 Croydon 756 2.5 
			 Cumbria Teaching 19,528 33.6 
			 Darlington 8,268 71.7 
			 Derby City 5,744 19.4 
			 Derbyshire County 18,261 23.1 
			 Devon 18,342 23.4 
			 Doncaster 9,229 25.9 
			 Dorset 7,469 17.8 
			 Dudley 1,239 3.7 
			 Ealing 1,321 4.4 
			 East Lancashire Teaching 12,545 29.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 13,536 39.3 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 1,203 3.4 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 4,037 5.3 
			 Enfield 7,983 32.2 
			 Gateshead 12,040 50.8 
			 Gloucestershire 31,625 55.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 9,147 35.1 
			 Greenwich Teaching 7,680 35.8 
			 Halton and St Helens 8,022 20.7 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,829 14.0 
			 Hampshire 59,662 50.4 
			 Haringey Teaching 5,896 28.4 
			 Harrow 4,287 22.4 
			 Hartlepool 2,778 24.2 
			 Hastings and Rother 314 1.5 
			 Havering 14,121 61.0 
			 Heart of Birmingham 583 2.1 
			 Herefordshire 3,362 17.6 
			 Hertfordshire 4,873 5.1 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 6,634 28.0 
			 Hillingdon 5,555 25.2 
			 Hounslow 3,077 15.1 
			 Hull Teaching 8,217 26.0 
			 Isle of Wight NHS 5,117 31.3 
			 Islington 3,654 21.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,862 25.9 
			 Kingston 5,829 41.9 
			 Kirklees 14,594 34.1 
			 Knowsley 1,802 9.0 
			 Lambeth 7,623 31.7 
			 Leeds 42,342 54.1 
			 Leicester City 1,150 3.5 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 1,283 2.1 
			 Lewisham 7,548 33.0 
			 Lincolnshire 36,517 45.4 
			 Liverpool 8,695 15.4 
			 Luton 2,663 15.3 
			 Manchester 15,321 28.1 
			 Medway 2,335 9.2 
			 Mid Essex 14,009 42.5 
			 Middlesbrough 4,202 24.0 
			 Milton Keynes 3,235 15.1 
			 Newcastle 14,170 49.0 
			 Newham 9,700 40.8 
			 Norfolk 25,679 32.8 
			 North East Essex 8,824 25.1 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 4,758 26.4 
			 North Lancashire Teaching 20,071 51.9 
			 North Lincolnshire 5,043 27.3 
			 North Somerset 8,410 38.4 
			 North Staffordshire 6,328 27.1 
			 North Tyneside 11,661 48.2 
		
	
	
		
			 North Yorkshire and York 29,672 37.6 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 17,209 26.6 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 13,836 36.6 
			 Nottingham City 6,666 21.7 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 21,472 30.6 
			 Oldham 9,945 39.3 
			 Oxfordshire 20,789 39.1 
			 Peterborough 5,551 36.0 
			 Plymouth Teaching 5,869 21.2 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 9,525 50.0 
			 Redbridge 11,664 51.2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,520 15.3 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 6,739 50.6 
			 Rotherham 10,760 35.7 
			 Salford 11,108 39.3 
			 Sandwell 4,530 12.9 
			 Sefton 286 0.9 
			 Sheffield 39,861 67.7 
			 Shropshire County 11,206 36.7 
			 Solihull 691 3.3 
			 Somerset 15,670 28.5 
			 South Birmingham 1,398 3.9 
			 South East Essex 10,089 29.9 
			 South Gloucestershire 9,926 44.5 
			 South Staffordshire 15,022 24.0 
			 South Tyneside 11,505 60.9 
			 South West Essex 13,247 34.0 
			 Southampton City 7,468 32.8 
			 Southwark 6,221 27.0 
			 Stockport 13,684 45.9. 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching 3,237 15.2 
			 Stoke on Trent 8,743 26.9 
			 Suffolk 23,224 39.5 
			 Sunderland Teaching 14,085 39.7 
			 Surrey 46,468 50.7 
			 Sutton and Merton 12,333 40.5 
			 Swindon 3,681 19.5 
			 Tameside and Glossop 6,735 25.6 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4,801 28.1 
			 Torbay Care Trust 93 0.5 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,837 18.2 
			 Trafford 11,635 54.0 
			 Wakefield District 12,370 30.2 
			 Walsall Teaching 5,714 19.5 
			 Waltham Forest 5,666 27.1 
			 Wandsworth Teaching 6,808 30.3 
			 Warrington 1,705 8.1 
			 Warwickshire 14,844 28.1 
			 West Essex 16,662 68.0 
		
	
	
		
			 West Kent 1,543 2.5 
			 West Sussex 28,474 35.9 
			 Western Cheshire 686 2.7 
			 Westminster 4,376 22.8 
			 Wiltshire 2,580 6.2 
			 Wirral 698 1.9 
			 Wolverhampton City 1,404 5.0 
			 Worcestershire 13,726 24.5 
			 Unidentified 291 — 
			 Total England 1,484,929 28.2 
			 (1) Treatments for Alzheimer's disease are classified in the British National Formulary sections 4.11 ‘Drugs for dementia’. Note that rivastigmine is also licensed for the treatment of dementia in Parkinson's disease. (2) The Business Services Authority, who reimburse prescriptions and from whom prescription data are obtained, also classify idebenone as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and so prescriptions for this product (amounting to 27 items across England in the period November 2010 to October 2011) is included in the table. (3) Some PCTs provide these medicines through hospital clinics rather than through general practices. Such prescriptions amounted to an additional 154,934 items in the period November 2010 to October 2011. These prescriptions cannot be allocated to individual PCTs. (4) A weighted capitation formula is used to determine PCT recurrent revenue allocations. The formula, based on a programme of statistical and economics research, determines the target allocation for each PCT. Its current objectives, set under the previous Administration, are to support equal access for equal need and to contribute to the reduction in avoidable health inequalities. The weighted capitation formula is made up of: a count of the population served by the PCT; adjustments to reflect the need for health care, including age and other factors, such as deprivation, a component boosting allocations in areas with a low Disability Free Life Expectancy; and an adjustment to reflect unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing health care, the market forces factor (MMF). This is included in the weighted population formula to compensate for unavoidable geographical variations in the cost of providing services (e.g. staff, buildings, land). Since the cost of prescribed medicines does not vary geographically no adjustment for the MFF has been made. The weighted capitation formula has separate components for health and community services, prescribing and primary care. Source: Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system

Charities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department allocated to (a) Centrepoint, (b) Crisis, (c) Skill Force and (d) Shelter in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department can confirm that funding was provided to the named organisations as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Recipient organisations 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Centrepoint 0 0 
			 Crisis UK 193,739 213,860 
			 Skill Force .0 0 
			 Shelter 0 0 
		
	
	It should be noted that the funding for 2011-12 represents the latest allocations for this year and additional funding could be allocated in the remaining months of the financial year.

Continuing Care

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he is making in implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the Dilnot Commission.

Paul Burstow: The coalition programme set out the Government's clear commitment to reforming the system of social care to provide much more control to individuals and their carers, and to ease the cost burden that they and their families face. This commitment to reform is why we acted quickly to set up the Commission on Funding of Care and Support, which published its report in July 2011.
	Government welcomed the report as a valuable contribution to the debate on social care reform, but funding reform is not the only thing that needs to change in the social care system. We want a package of reforms that goes much wider, addresses the key failures of the current system, and ensures that people get the best possible social care.
	This is why we have spent the last few months engaging with stakeholders from across the social care community to identify the priorities for reform, and the trade-offs between them. The results of this engagement will inform a White Paper on social care and a progress report on funding reform, which we will publish in the spring.

Continuing Care

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the recommendations contained in the report of the Dilnot Commission, if he will consider raising the means-tested threshold above which people are liable for their full care costs to £100,000.

Paul Burstow: The coalition programme set out the Government's clear commitment to reforming the system of social care to provide much more control to individuals and their carers, and to ease the cost burden that they and their families face. This commitment to reform is why we acted quickly to set up the Commission on Funding of Care and Support.
	In its terms of reference, the Commission was asked “to examine and provide deliverable recommendations on:
	how best to meet the costs of care and support as a partnership between individuals and the state;
	how people could choose to protect their assets, especially their homes, against the cost of care;
	how, both now and in the future, public funding for the care and support system can be best used to meet care and support needs; and
	how its preferred option can be delivered, including an indication of the timescale for implementation, and its impact on local government (and the local government finance system), the national health service, and—if appropriate—financial regulation.”
	In response to this challenge, the Commission recommended a cap on people's lifetime care costs, set at between £25,000 and £50,000.
	The Commission also recommended that the upper asset threshold of the current means-tested system (which would remain in place with a cap) be raised to £100,000—and this is the recommendation to which the question refers. The Commission said that the extended means test would work with the cap to ensure that, if the cap were set at £35,000, no one has to use more than 30% of their assets paying for care.
	The Commission's report has formed the basis of Government's recent engagement with stakeholders. This engagement exercise brought together the priorities for reform from across the social care system, and examined the trade-offs between them.
	The results of the engagement are now published, and Government are using them to inform a White Paper on social care, and a progress report on funding reform, which will be published in the spring.

Continuing Care

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the recommendation contained in the report of the Dilnot Commission, if he will consider introducing national eligibility criteria and portable assessments for the provision of adult social care.

Paul Burstow: The coalition programme set out the Government's clear commitment to reforming the system of social care to provide much more control to individuals and their carers, and to ease the cost burden that they and their families face. This commitment to reform is why we acted quickly to set up the Commission on funding of care and support.
	In its Terms of Reference, the Commission was asked “to examine and provide deliverable recommendations on:
	how best to meet the costs of care and support as a partnership between individuals and the state;
	how people could choose to protect their assets, especially their homes, against the cost of care;
	how, both now and in the future, public funding for the care and support system can be best used to meet care and support needs; and
	how its preferred option can be delivered, including an indication of the timescale for implementation, and its impact on local government (and the local government finance system), the national health service, and—if appropriate—financial regulation.”
	In response to this challenge, the Commission made recommendations on a number of aspects of the social care system, including eligibility.
	Local authorities are currently required to use the same assessment scale, but are free to set their eligibility threshold at any point on this scale. The Commission recommended that we set a national threshold at “substantial” need.
	Care users who move from one local authority to another currently lose their eligibility to care until they are reassessed. The Commission recommended that the rules be changed so that they retain eligibility until they are reassessed.
	The Commission's report has formed the basis of Government's recent engagement with stakeholders. This engagement exercise brought together these recommendations with other priorities for reform from across the social care system, and examined the trade-offs between them.
	The results of the engagement are now published, and Government are using them to inform a White Paper on social care, and a progress report on funding reform, which will be published in the spring.

Dementia

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the rates of admission were to hospital for patients over 74 years with a secondary diagnosis of dementia in each primary care trust in England in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many bed days were recorded for patients (a) over and (b) under 74 years with a secondary diagnosis of dementia in each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Doctors: Foreign Workers

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether health regulators are notified automatically when a doctor is struck off in another country.

Anne Milton: There are no obligations on regulators from outside the European economic area to notify the General Medical Council when a doctor is struck-off, although in practice the General Medical Council will normally seek an assurance that a doctor is “in good standing” in their home country before registering them.
	There are requirements on European Union competent authorities to exchange information with each other under Directive 2005/36/EC (under articles 8 and 56) both when a health professional seeks to register in a new member state and at other times. However, the requirements do not currently amount to an obligation to notify other competent authorities when a doctor is struck off and the duty is only engaged where a request for information is made by another competent authority.
	The European Commission, in its proposed revision to the directive on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications has proposed a stronger alert mechanism underpinned by a clear duty on member states to share information where there are concerns about the practice of any health care professional.

Drugs: Misuse

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people being treated for addiction to opiate-based prescription drugs in each primary care trust;
	(2)  what recent consideration he has given to the recommendations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Misuse in its report on Physical Dependence and Addiction to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication.

Anne Milton: In May 2011, two evidence-gathering reports looking at the problem of addiction to prescription and over-the-counter medicines were published. These reports were commissioned in response to the concerns raised in within the All-Party Parliamentary Group on drug misuse report on physical dependence and addiction to prescription and over-the-counter medication.
	Following publication of the reports, I convened a roundtable discussion on the issue of addiction to medicines, which identified a number of concrete actions to take forward. These will be reviewed when the roundtable group reconvenes later this year.
	There are no nationally published figures on the number of people being treated for addiction to opiate-based prescription, drugs in each primary care trust. The report on addiction to medicines from The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse provides information on the yearly, number of patients entering drug treatment services for addiction to prescribed opiates and the numbers of those who entered treatment without associated illicit drug use between 2005 and 2010. Local prescribing data may have more information on the total number being treated for addiction to opiates-based prescription drugs at primary care trust level.

Health Professions

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the additional time taken by (a) GPs, (b) nurses, (c) health visitors, (d) pharmacists, (e) dentists and (f) opticians in raising lifestyle health issues in every encounter with patients under the proposals of the NHS Future Forum.

Anne Milton: No such estimate has been made. It is not necessarily about additional time but using that contact time more effectively.

Health Services: Older People

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the admission rates were to hospital from a nursing home or residential care home for people aged under 74 in each primary care trust in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care collects data on finished admission episodes as part of Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). HES data on the number of finished admission episodes for those aged 74 and under, by source of admission and primary care trust of residence, for the year 2010-11, has been placed in the Library.

Medical Equipment

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems his Department has in place to ensure the adequacy of the regulatory system for medical devices.

Simon Burns: Medical devices placed on the market in Europe, including the United Kingdom, are done so under the European Medical Devices Directives.
	Under these directives member states are required to set up a competent authority who have a mainly post market surveillance role which includes an obligation to withdraw or restrict devices from the market or from being used which may compromise the health and safety of patients, users or, where applicable, other persons. In the UK this authority has been delegated by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency who have a range of enforcement powers and sanctions available under the Consumer Protection Act. They are also responsible for negotiating within Europe any changes to the directive which become apparent through experience in consultation within government and industry.
	The European Directives covering medical devices are shortly due to be revised and the UK will be pushing for a number of improvements to the existing system.

Medical Records

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of providing patients with on-line access to their records under the proposals of the NHS Future Forum.

Simon Burns: We are very grateful for the diligent, considered and thorough approach taken by NHS Future Forum members. We are already engaged in in-depth evaluation of the Future Forum's report and we will set out our proposals in respect of their recommendations in the forthcoming Information Strategy. The Information Strategy, which will be published by April this year, will be informed by analysis of the supporting evidence, impacts, costs and benefits—including analysis of equalities issues.
	We also welcome the Forum's proposal that a partnership of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the British Medical Association, the NHS Commissioning Board and relevant patient organisations should be invited to develop a plan for the roll-out of access to patient records by 2015. We will engage with these organisations on how best to take this forward, including consideration of impacts, costs and benefits, some of which will be dependent on local decisions.

Mental Health Services

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consideration of patient care made by health commissioners transferring mental health patients as part of the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: As set out in “The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12”, at a regional and local level, the national health service has developed integrated plans that set out how they will drive up the quality and productivity of services by 2014-15.
	We have been clear that these plans must demonstrate how any proposals, which would include any locally determined proposals around the care for mental health patients, will ensure quality. is maintained or improved whilst generating Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention efficiency savings.

NHS: Capital Investment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's radiotherapy dataset report published in August 2011, what steps he plans to take to ensure part of the £300 million made available for capital expenditure projects is used to address inequalities in the availability of radiotherapy equipment between the North East and London;
	(2)  with reference to the £300 million announced for new NHS capital expenditure projects, which (a) foundation hospitals, (b) strategic health authorities and (c) primary care trusts in the North East were informed of this new funding; and how long have they been given to apply for it.

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's radiotherapy dataset report published in August 2011, if he will direct funds from the announced £300 million fund for new capital projects towards redressing geographically-based inequalities in the provision of radiotherapy equipment in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the announcement of an extra £300 million for new capital expenditure projects in the NHS, whether primary care trusts that cancelled capital projects in 2011 due to funding will be able to revive them through access to the fund;
	(3)  when the decision was made to release an extra £300 million for new capital projects in the NHS; when primary care trusts (PCTs) were informed of his decision; whether all (a) foundation hospitals, (b) strategic health authorities and (c) PCTs in the South West were informed; when the closing date is for applications to the new fund; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We have identified capital funding which could be made available to the national health service. We are now in discussions with the NHS to see how it could best be spent. However, no decisions have been taken and no deadlines established at national level. Further announcements will be made when the best possible use of this capital funding has been identified.

Nurses

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether nurses on wards will be required to log the hourly visits to patients under the Prime Minister's proposals.

Anne Milton: It is for local national health service organisations to decide how they monitor hourly ward rounds. Encouraging nurses to carry out hourly ward rounds is about showing staff what is already working in some places and what the rest can do to achieve the level of the best. It is not about adding a new burden of bureaucracy to nursing. The newly established independent Nursing and Care Quality Forum will be tasked with ensuring the best nursing practice, including hourly nursing rounds, is spread throughout the NHS and social care.

Plastic Surgery: Breasts

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) number and (b) value was of NHS contracts with PIP for breast implants in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: We do not hold this information centrally. We are seeking more robust information about the number of women affected from national health service hospitals and private clinics.

Primary Care Trusts: Finance

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what figures were used by his Department for each component of the formula used in calculating the funding per head for the West Kent Primary Care Trust in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will set out the formula used by his Department in calculating the funding per head for each primary care trust in England in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(3)  what the amount of funding per head was for each primary care trust in England in the latest year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: I refer my right hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), on 14 December 2011, Official Report, column 102WS. This provided a link to the Department's primary care trust (PCT) allocations webpage where full details of the calculations used to determine the 2012-13 PCT allocations are available, including per capita figures for all PCTs.
	To allow the national health service financial stability during a period of transition, a uniform uplift of 3% was applied to all PCTs in their 2012-13 recurrent revenue allocations.

Sexual Offences: Health Services

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the NHS North Yorkshire on the role of the local primary care trust in the sexual assault and rape centre being set up in North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The development of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) is a matter for local determination. SARCs are commissioned on a collaborative basis by police forces and primary care trusts (PCTs). As such, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has had no recent discussions with North Yorkshire and York PCT about the establishment of a SARC in the North Yorkshire area. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the chief executive of the PCT, which may hold some relevant information.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department allocated to research on spinal muscular atrophy in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Estimated spend by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) on directly-funded research on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in 2010-11 is £0.4 million. In addition/the NIHR clinical research network is currently hosting one study on SMA.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the standard of NHS care for (a) children and (b) adults with spinal muscular atrophy; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Currently the 10 specialised commissioning groups for England are consulting on draft service specifications for neuromuscular services and for wheelchair services. These service specifications, which set out the standards of service that all neuromuscular patients should expect to receive, will be finalised by April 2012, when the specialised commissioning groups will start to implement them.
	We have made no recent assessment of the standard of national health service care for those living with spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to offer screening for the spinal muscular atrophy gene on the NHS.

Paul Burstow: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation. Using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation, it assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria.
	The UK NSC regularly reviews policy on screening for different conditions in the light of new research evidence becoming available. Where stakeholder organisations feel that there is enough evidence published in peer reviewed journals to consider screening for a condition they can submit a policy proposal to the UK NSC. Further information is available on UK NSC's website at:
	www.screening.nhs.uk/policyreview

CABINET OFFICE

Aviation

Mark Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many interviews the International Passenger Survey conducted in each year from 2004 to 2010; and what the nationality was of each interviewee.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking how many interviews the International Passenger Survey conducted in each year from 2004 to 2010: and what the nationality was of each interviewee.
	I am able to report the answer to this question in the form of a data table, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Childbirth: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the birth rate was in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley in the last period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the birth rate was in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Bexley in the last period for which figures are available (90584).
	The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been supplied as this is the most useful measure of an area's fertility level. The TFR is the average number of live children that a group of women would each bear if they experienced the age-specific fertility rates of the calendar year in question throughout their childbearing lifespan.
	
		
			 Total Fertility Rate (TFR), selected areas, 2010 
			 Area TFR 
			 (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 2.01 
			 (b) Bexley London Borough 2.04

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years.

Francis Maude: Table 1 as follows categorises how much was paid to officials in the Cabinet Office in (a) variable non-consolidated performance related awards and (b) allowances in relation to the total Cabinet Office pay bill in each of the last two years for which fully audited figures are available, 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	An element of the Cabinet Office's overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated awards related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
	Non-consolidated awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.
	Cabinet Office uses pay allowances as a cost effective way to recruit and retain staff to posts that require specialist skills or long or un-social hours and to staff performing duties at a higher grade on a temporary basis. Allowances are non-consolidated monthly payments which are paid in lieu of a consolidated increase to basic salary and cease when staff move from qualifying posts.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 £ 
			 Payment category Monetary value paid in 2009-10 Monetary value paid in 2010-11 
			 (C) Non-consolidated variable performance related awards(1) 2,264,417 1,856,242 
			 (D) Allowances 1,793,239 1,651,396 
			 Total pay bill(2) 124,176,000 127,655,000 
			 (1) Includes end-year awards, in-year awards and awards paid to staff from other Government Departments in the Cabinet Office (2) Published in the Cabinet Office resource accounts for 2009-10 and 2010-11. 
		
	
	Cabinet Office headcount (excluding agencies) increased from 1,300 full-time employee (FTE) in Quarter 1 2010 to 1670 FTE in Quarter 2 2010 as a result of Machinery of Government changes following the general election
	The 20 largest such payments made in 2009-10 and 2010-11 in Cabinet Office and its NDPBs were in relation to allowances and non-consolidated performance awards as detailed in table 2 as follows.
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 20 largest payments made in 2009-10 
			 Payment type Payment band Number of payments made 
			 Non-consolidated performance related award(1) £40,000 to £44,999 1 
			 Non-consolidated performance related award(1) £30,000 to £34,999 1 
			 Allowance £20,000 to £24,999 1 
			 Non-consolidated performance related award £15,000 to £19,999 8 
			 Allowance £10,000 to £14,999 9 
		
	
	
		
			 2 0 largest payments made in 2010- 11 
			 Payment type Payment value Payments made 
			 Non-consolidated performance related award £40,000 to £44,999 1 
			 Allowance £15,000 to £19,999 1 
			 Allowance £10,000 to £14,999 14 
			 Non-consolidated performance related award £10,000 to £14,999 4 
			 (1) Contractual non-standard senior civil service non-consolidated awards determined by non-standard contracts, put in place before 2009-10 and that are no longer in place.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much redundancy pay was paid to civil servants in his Department in each month between September and November 2011.

Francis Maude: No redundancy pay was paid to civil servants in my Department between September and November 2011.

Government Departments: Contracts

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how often performance indicators for Government services outsourced to private companies are reviewed.

Francis Maude: The responsibility for reviewing performance indicators rests with the individual contracting authorities, as these will vary according to the contract.

Unemployment: Scotland

Ian Davidson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office from which occupational groups people became unemployed in (a) Glasgow South West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking from which occupational groups people became unemployed in (a) Glasgow South West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in the latest 12 months for which figures are available. (90362)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Estimates of unemployment for the requested breakdown are not available from this source.
	As an alternative, Tables 1 to 4, shows the number of people who had flowed onto Jobseeker's Allowance by occupation in the last 12 months, resident in Glasgow South West, Glasgow City, Scotland and the UK, in each month from November 2010 to November 2011.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	Copies of the tables have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Azerbaijan: Politics and Government

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has written to the Government of Azerbaijan to express his condolences on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of civilians in Baku on 20 January 1990.

David Lidington: The Government are aware of the tragic incidents that took place in Baku in January 1990 and during the ensuing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Many thousands of Azerbaijanis and Armenians were displaced from their homes, with deaths estimated to run to several hundred. The responsibility for these deaths and the casualties in the conflict, which continues today, are disputed by the two parties. We have not sent letters of condolence to either Government. The process of reconciliation for their shared history forms part of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk group peace process.
	We extend our deepest sympathies to all the families of the victims and call on all sides to redouble their efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years.

Henry Bellingham: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff may be eligible for certain allowances depending upon where they are posted to work; in the United Kingdom or in a mission overseas.
	Non-consolidated performance pay is focussed on rewarding high levels of performance. It is an integral element of the reward package for staff, has to be re-earned each year and does not add to future pay bill costs. The following total amounts were paid to staff:
	2009-10—£6,682,843
	2010-11—£6,185,854
	There is also an in year performance award scheme devolved to Directorates to allow them to recognise achievement by their own staff below the SCS. Nominations are moderated within the Directorate for balance and fairness. The following total amounts were paid to staff:
	2009-10—£437,874
	2010-11—£494,603
	For allowances and other payments in addition to basic salary paid in 2009-10 I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 18 November 2010, Official Report, column 903W, by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt).
	I will write to my hon. Friend, and place a copy in the Library of the House when information for 2010-11 become available along with a breakdown of the 20 largest monetary values in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	Information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibilities

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to reorganise the structure of senior officials in his Department with responsibility for European affairs.

David Lidington: Following a review of resources in Europe Directorate last year, a new Additional Director post has been created to work in partnership with the existing Europe Director.

EU Law

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the regulations his Department brought into force through (a) primary legislation, (b) secondary legislation and (c) other means originated from proposals by the European Commission in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

David Lidington: In the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011 the FCO brought forward four orders which related to EU obligations. Three of these were specification orders made pursuant to the European Communities Act 1972 relating to EU/third country agreements. The fourth order related to technical amendments to UK law to take account of changes in terminology introduced by the Lisbon treaty, for example replacing references to ‘the European Community’ with references to ‘the European Union’. The orders are:
	2010/766 The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Stabilisation and Association Agreement) (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Order 2010
	2011/742 The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Stabilisation and Association Agreement) (Republic of Serbia) Order 2011
	2011/743 The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Partnership and Cooperation Agreement) (Republic of Indonesia) Order 2011
	2011/1043 The Treaty of Lisbon (Changes in Terminology) Order 2011.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which EU (a) Directives, (b) Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department require transposition into UK law; and what estimate he has made of the cost to (i) the public purse and (ii) the private sector of such measures.

David Lidington: EU legislation for which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is responsible is rarely required to be transposed into UK law. The FCO is responsible for ensuring that EU/third country agreements are specified pursuant to the European Communities Act 1972 and, for example, the FCO was responsible for bringing three specification Orders into force from 2010 to 2011. The Government assesses that the three agreements so specified did not impose any burdens on private industry. The fourth piece of legislation which was made during the same period is an Order which made technical amendments to UK law to take account of changes in terminology introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, for example replacing references to 'the European Community' with references to 'the European Union'. There are no costs to the public purse or the private sector in the UK as a result of these technical amendments.

European External Action Service

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the monetary value is of the UK's contribution to the EU External Action Service in 2011-12; and what it is estimated to be in each of the next five years.

David Lidington: The UK contributes to the EU budget as a whole and not to specific programmes within it. There is not, therefore, a specific contribution to the EU External Action Service expenditure. The latest forecast of the UK's contributions to the EU budget is presented in the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook of November 2011:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-november-2011/

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken in response to the decision by Argentina and other South American countries to close their ports to ships flying the flag of the Falkland Islands.

Jeremy Browne: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) said in his written ministerial statement of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 5-6WS, we consider that the decision to close ports to ships flying the Falklands flag has no legal basis. While we do not accept Mercosur's announcement, our priority has been to ensure that trade and commercial links between the Falklands and South America are not compromised by this political declaration. Brazil, Chile and Uruguay have told us that all Falklands-related commercial shipping will continue to enjoy access to their ports, in accordance with domestic and international law, if they are flying the Red Ensign or another national flag when docked. We will continue to protest against Argentina's attempts to deny the people of the Falkland Islands their right to trade openly and without hindrance.

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the EU, (b) his counterparts in other EU member states and (c) the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the decision of Argentina and other South American countries to close their ports to ships flying the flag of the Falkland Islands; and what action will be taken at an EU level in response to this decision.

Jeremy Browne: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) said in his written ministerial statement of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 5-6WS, we consider that the decision to close ports to ships flying the Falklands flag has no legal basis. We have raised our concerns with all EU member states, the EU Commission, the office of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and others within the European External Action Service. The Falkland Islands is recognised under EU Treaty as a UK Territory associated with the EU.

Fiji: Religious Freedom

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on treatment of members of the Methodist Church in Fiji; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: Our high commission in Suva regularly reports on the political situation in Fiji.
	The British Government are deeply concerned by reports of restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and freedom of association being placed upon members of the Methodist Church in Fiji.
	On 12 October 2011 I raised our concerns with the Fijian high commissioner to London, expressing dismay at these developments and noting that this latest action by the authorities in Fiji can only serve to increase their isolation from the international community.
	On 7 January 2012 Fiji's interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, lifted the Public Emergency Regulations; however there are reports that the Public Order Act has been strengthened. Our High Commission in Suva will continue to maintain close contact with the Methodist Church and will continue to lobby the interim Government in Fiji to remove restrictions regarding peaceful assembly and freedom of association.

Gifts and Endowments

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance is given in relation to the receipt of gifts from foreign governments on official visits; and whether such guidance is given to members of the royal family.

Henry Bellingham: The guidance for Ministers accepting gifts during official visits comes under the ministerial code issued by Cabinet Office and available on the Cabinet Office website(1).
	The guidance and procedures governing the acceptance, classification, recording, retention and disposal of gifts by members of the royal family is published on the official website of the British monarchy(2).
	(1)http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/ministerial-code-may-2010.pdf
	(2)http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2003/Guidelinesandproceduresrelatingtogifts.aspx

Libya: Females

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has (a) received on and (b) made to the Libyan authorities on the draft election law proposed by Libya's electoral commission allocating 10 per cent. of seats to women.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have been contacted by a number of non-governmental organisations to express concerns about the draft legislation. Our embassy in Tripoli has been in contact with the National Transitional Council (NTC) and a range of Libyan civil society representatives, including representatives of women's groups, about the terms of the draft electoral legislation, including the terms of the quota for women and how this would be implemented. A senior member of the NTC Election Committee confirmed to our ambassador on 11 January that the 10% quota contained within the current draft was a minimum rather than a limit. The UN Support Mission in Libya, with whom our embassy is in close touch, is supporting the NTC's Election Committee, offering technical advice and discussing how to take into account the many representations received by that Committee.

Libya: Females

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the National Transitional Council of Libya on the involvement of women in the democratic transition process.

Alistair Burt: When the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to Prime Minister al-Kib in November 2011 to congratulate him on his appointment, he underlined the importance of ensuring that women play an integral role in the evolving democratic process. The UK co-funded the first Libyan National Women's Conference in November 2011 during which women put their concerns directly to Chairman Jalil and Transitional Government Prime Minister al-Kib. During my visit to Tripoli in December 2011, I spoke to senior members of the Transitional Government and civil society groups about the importance of ensuring the full participation of women in shaping the democratic future of Libya. Our ambassador in Tripoli met a senior member of the National Transitional Council Election Committee on 11 January to discuss the recently published draft electoral legislation and to clarify the terms under which women would be included in the democratic process. Officials in London and Tripoli also supporting Libyan women's groups in developing effective mechanisms to ensure that women's views are heard and taken into consideration.

Libya: Nuclear Power

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which information that has recently become available in Libya indicates the involvement of A. Q. Khan in the previous Libyan Government's nuclear programme.

Alistair Burt: The involvement of A.Q. Khan and his network in supplying the Libyan nuclear programme between 1997 and 2003 has been extensively documented. Libya declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it received documentation related to nuclear weapon design and fabrication, as well as pre-assembled centrifuges and components. No information has come to light that changes our assessment of the role of the Khan network, and our current priority for Libya's nuclear programme is unchanged, namely the securing of Libya's yellowcake stocks under IAEA supervision.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Nigeria.

Henry Bellingham: The elections held in Nigeria last April were widely regarded as the most credible since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999, and have strengthened the political and democratisation process there.
	Increases in terrorist attacks and outbreaks of sectarian violence have posed serious challenges over past months to the Nigerian Government. Since the new year, protests and strikes against the Nigerian Government's decision to remove fuel subsidies have also caused disruption. The subsidy was economically unsustainable, but it is important that subsequent economic reforms benefit the people of Nigeria.
	In September last year the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I discussed the general security situation with the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru. I reiterated our commitment to working with the Nigerian authorities to combat the threat of terrorism in Nigeria. During the Prime Minister's visit to Nigeria in July 2011, the Prime Minister and President Jonathan agreed that the UK would provide assistance and expertise to help strengthen and reform Nigeria's security apparatus and structures, including helping Nigeria establish a COBR equivalent for use in situations of national emergency. The UK has shared its expertise on counter-terrorism policy, doctrine and legal frameworks, and also provided assistance with specific capabilities such as managing the consequences of terrorist attacks. In all cases the co-operation has emphasised compliance with international human rights. The British Government have supported non-governmental organisations in northern Nigeria to facilitate dialogue between communities, and the Department for International Development supports programmes that aim to address some of the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty and unequal division of power and resources.
	We will continue to monitor changes in the Nigerian political landscape, and to support the Nigerian Government's aim of making Nigeria a peaceful and prosperous nation.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) support and (b) advice his Department is providing to the Nigerian authorities on the security situation in Nigeria.

Henry Bellingham: The elections held in Nigeria last April were widely regarded as the most credible since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999, and have strengthened the political and democratisation process there.
	Increases in terrorist attacks and outbreaks of sectarian violence have posed serious challenges over past months to the Nigerian Government. Since the new year, protests and strikes against the Nigerian Government's decision to remove fuel subsidies have also caused disruption. The subsidy was economically unsustainable, but it is important that subsequent economic reforms benefit the people of Nigeria.
	In September last year the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I discussed the general security situation with the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru. I reiterated our commitment to working with the Nigerian authorities to combat the threat of terrorism in Nigeria. During the Prime Minister's visit to Nigeria in July 2011, the Prime Minister and President Jonathan agreed that the UK would provide assistance and expertise to help strengthen and reform Nigeria's security apparatus and structures, including helping Nigeria establish a COBR equivalent for use in situations of national emergency. The UK has shared its expertise on counter-terrorism policy, doctrine and legal frameworks, and also provided assistance with specific capabilities such as managing the consequences of terrorist attacks. In all cases the co-operation has emphasised compliance with international human rights. The British Government have supported non-governmental organisations in northern Nigeria to facilitate dialogue between communities, and the Department for International Development supports programmes that aim to address some of the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty and unequal division of power and resources. We will continue to monitor changes in the Nigerian political landscape, and to support the Nigerian Government's aim of making Nigeria a peaceful and prosperous nation.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was paid to officials in his office in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years.

Nicholas Clegg: For the purposes of corporate administration and financial management, my office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) today.

EDUCATION

Charities: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department provided to (a) Action on Addiction, (b) Adoption UK, (c) the Adoption and Fostering Information Line, (d) the Child Bereavement Charity, (e) Well Child and (f) each of East Anglia's children’s hospices in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 16 January 2012
	The Department has not provided funding with any of these organisations in financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Children

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the number of children under local authority care who are considered to have additional needs in (a) the UK and (b) each local authority.

Tim Loughton: The number of children who had been looked after continuously for 12 months at 31 March 2010 in England who had a special educational need was 20,100 (68.7% of the total number of children who had been looked after continuously for 12 months).
	This information is contained in the Statistical First Release (Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England, as at 31 March 2010) which was published on 16 December 2010 at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000978/index.shtml
	Information is also published within this release at local authority level. This information is contained in table LA8, which can be accessed in the above Statistical First Release (via the Excel link “These tables includes local authority tables showing SEN, offending, substance misuse and health care of looked after children” on the release's web page).
	Information for the year ending 31 March 2011 will be released in spring 2012.
	The Department is responsible for children who are looked after by local authorities in England, information on children who are looked after in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is collected by the devolved Administrations; however this is subject to different legislation and collected via different data systems.

Children: Disability

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what oversight his Department has over implementation of local authority policies for the distribution and use of direct payments for disabled children;
	(2)  what his policy is on the standardisation of local authority policies on how parents may spend direct payments for disabled children;
	(3)  what representations he has received on the policies of local authorities to restrict the use of direct payments for disabled children so as to prohibit their use for after school clubs and school holiday activities.

Sarah Teather: ‘Community care, services for carers and children's services (Direct Payments) guidance’ England 2009 provides guidance to local authorities making direct payments. The guidance sets out how local authorities might manage and administer direct payments based on local needs, priorities and resources.
	Local authorities are advised to monitor and keep under review the direct payment to ensure that it continues to meet individual need and that the scheme is operating effectively.
	The purpose of the direct payment is to give flexibility and choice to families with disabled children that will enable them to secure an individualised rather than standard package of support.
	Over the last year, the Department has been asked to review one case involving the use of direct payments for disabled children in relation to after school clubs and school holiday activities.
	This Government are committed to exploring how direct payments can be expanded beyond existing arrangements. New powers in the Education Act 1996, inserted by the Education Act 2011, give the Secretary of State for Education the power to create pilot schemes to test the use of direct payments to secure services for children and young people who have been assessed as having special educational needs.

Children’s Centres

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on (a) Sure Start, (b) early years entitlement and (c) Sure Start maternity grants in each year since 1997.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 12 January 2012
	The information requested is as follows:
	Sure Start
	Sure Start funding has been provided via a number of mechanisms throughout the life of the programme. Initially it was provided directly to Sure Start local programmes and subsequently to local authorities through the Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant and its predecessor the General Sure Start Grant.
	The first Sure Start local programmes (SSLPs) were set up in 1999-2000 and received a single capital allocation for the period 1999 to 2006 of £479,638,144.
	The spend by local authorities on Sure Start is shown in Table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 £ million 
			  Revenue Capital Total 
			 1999-2000 3 0 3 
			 2000-01 33 0 33 
			 2001-02 105 0 105 
			 2002-03 174 0 174 
			 2003-04 149 3 152 
			 2004-06(1) 1,559 232 1,791 
			 2006-07 979 245 1,224 
			 2007-08 1,342 436 1,778 
			 2008-09 1,304 344 1,648 
			 2009-10 1,524 330 1,854 
			 (1) In 2004-06 local authorities received a two-year allocation. 
		
	
	Complete expenditure information on Sure Start for 2010-11 is not yet available. The Sure Start allocations for local authorities in 2010-11 were:
	Revenue: £1,189,133,720
	Capital: £367,499,500
	Total: £2,206,633,220.
	In addition to the spend reported in Table 1, local authorities also received funding from 1998 to 2003 for which local authority spend data are not available. These allocations are shown in Table 2.
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 £ million 
			  Revenue Capital Total 
			 1998-99 140 0 140 
			 1999-00 192 0 192 
			 2000-01 353 0 353 
			 2001-02 449 0 449 
			 2002-03 501 23 524 
		
	
	Since April 2011 the Department for Education has provided local authorities with funding through the Early Intervention Grant, which replaces a number of centrally-directed ring-fenced grants for children, young people and family services. The Early Intervention Grant is a non-ringfenced grant and provides funding to enable local authorities to act more strategically and target investment early, where it will have the greatest impact, with greater flexibility to respond to local needs and drive reform. The Early Intervention Grant allocated £2,231,981,341 to local authorities in 2011-12 and the indicative allocation for 2012-13 is £2,365,200,001. It is important to note here that the 2011-12 figure includes funding in recognition of pilot activity but funding for pilots in 2012-13 is still to be confirmed.
	Early Years Entitlement
	Funding for free early education places for three and four-year-olds is provided through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which supports the majority of education provision for children aged three to 16. Local authorities, in consultation with their Schools Forum, decide how best to distribute funding across their locality and local authorities set their own local rates of funding to early years providers. No national funding allocation figure is available.
	Local authorities report on financial expenditure through section 251 returns. The Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) was introduced in every LA from April 2011. Because of the way section 251 operated previously to the introduction of the EYSFF, it is not possible to obtain complete data on free early education spend for LAs before the EYSFF. The estimated spend on three and four-year-old early education for 2011-12 is £1.9 billion.
	Sure Start Maternity Grants
	The Sure Start maternity grant is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions. The expenditure on maternity payments and Sure Start maternity grants is shown in Table 3.
	
		
			 Table 3 
			  Type of payment Expenditure (£ million) 
			 1997-98 Maternity Payment 20 
			 1998-99 Maternity Payment 18 
			 1999-2000 Maternity Payment 17 
			 2000-01(1) Maternity Payment 2 
			 (SSMGs phased in)(1) Sure Start Maternity Grant 42.4 
			 2001-02 Sure Start Maternity Grant 61.2 
			 2002-03 Sure Start Maternity Grant 110.5 
			 2003-04 Sure Start Maternity Grant 120.5 
			 2004-05 Sure Start Maternity Grant 119.5 
			 2005-06 Sure Start Maternity Grant 120.6 
			 2006-07 Sure Start Maternity Grant 120.1 
			 2007-08 Sure Start Maternity Grant 123.1 
			 2008-9 Sure Start Maternity Grant 133.3 
			 2009-10 Sure Start Maternity Grant 138.8 
			 2010-11 Sure Start Maternity Grant 130.9 
			 (1 )Sure Start Maternity Grants (SSMGs) replaced Maternity Payments in 2000-01. SSMGs were phased in from 27 March 2000 to replace Maternity Payments hence expenditure on both 2000-01.

Departmental Grants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much funding his Department allocated in total to (a) the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, (b) the British Association for Early Childhood Education, (c) the British Dyslexia Association, (d) Catch 22, (e) Children England, (f) the Children's Legal Centre, (g) the Daycare Trust, (h) the Family and Parenting Institute, (i) Family Action, (j) the Family Rights Group, (k) the National Children's Bureau, (l) National Family Mediation, (m) the NSPCC and (n) Netmums Ltd in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding his Department allocated to (a) Parenting UK, (b) Parentline Plus, (c) Parentline Plus, Got a Teenager, (d) Personal Finance Education Group, (e) Pre-School Learning Alliance, (f) Relate, (g) The Prince's Trust, (h) The Princess Royal Trust, (i) Raleigh International and (j) Time For Families in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 10 January 2012
	The following table sets out DFE spend with each of the organisations:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Organisation 2010-11 (actuals) (full year) 2011-12 (actuals) (spend to end of December 2011) 
			 The British Association for Adoption and Fostering 1,318,173 889,865 
			 The British Association for Early Childhood Education 50,000 104,855 
			 The British Dyslexia Association 1,099,581 541,394 
			 Catch 22 928,288 77,670 
			 Children England 916,564 688,825 
			 The Children's Legal Centre 433,397 370,388 
			 The Daycare Trust 394,527 319,491 
			 The Family and Parenting Institute 8,845,231 180,591 
			 Family Action 98,325 0 
			 The Family Rights Group 608,458 298,705 
			 The National Children's Bureau 11,882,717 919,442 
			 National Family Mediation 210,000 0 
			 The NSPCC 6,961,971 2,535,715 
			 Netmums Ltd 814,465 582,075 
			 Parenting UK 250,000 61,473 
			 Parentline Plus (includes figures for Got a Teenager which was absorbed into the Family Lives work in July 2011) 3,459,785 158,628 
			 Personal Finance Education Group 3,316,049 0 
			 Pre-School Learning Alliance 1,390,675 474,696 
			 Relate 3,129,708 1,444,473 
			 The Prince's Trust(1) 133,695 357,333 
			 The Princess Royal Trust 513,359 104,651 
			 Raleigh International 61,952 0 
			 Time for Families 180,000 79,372 
			 (1) Merged with Fairbridge in 2011: 2011-12 funding is to merged organisation. 
		
	
	The amount paid to each organisation is readily available from the Department's finance systems. Allocations often vary, sometimes considerably, between the initial funding decision and the final amount provided. For this reason, we answer funding questions using spend data rather than allocation data.
	The figures in the table above reflect only direct funding from DFE via national grants and contracts. The voluntary and community sector receives money indirectly from DFE through a number of routes, including funding through Executive Agencies (and previously arm’s length bodies), through the money we give to local authorities and from services commissioned from schools.
	The voluntary and community sector plays and will continue to play, a vital role in developing and delivering services for children, young people and families. However, in a tough financial climate where public finance constraints are required, we must focus the money we have effectively and ensure the best use of limited public funds. Only activities of national significance are being funded centrally by the Department. Inevitably the scale and scope of these activities will change year on year in order to address national priorities identified.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total value was of performance-related pay received by staff in his Department at each grade in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education (DfE) was created on 12 May 2010.
	An accurate split of non-consolidated performance awards by grade is not available from the previous Departments' legacy systems. The following table shows the information which can be provided, which relates to the last two full financial years. These payments are central to the Department's total reward strategy and help to drive high performance and act as a positive incentive for staff.
	Total value of performance-related pay received by staff in DfE by grade (please note these figures have been rounded and payments relate to performance in the previous financial year)
	
		
			 £ 
			 Grade 2011/12 2010/11 
			 EA 59,000 70,000 
			 EO 160,000 160,000 
			 HEO 190,000 200,000 
			 SEO 210,000 240,000 
			 G7 280,000 360,000 
			 G6 100,000 130,000 
			 Deputy director 190,000 530,000 
			 Director 60,000 180,000 
			 Director general 0 48,000 
			 Total 1,249,000 1,918,000 
		
	
	While we can't break down the performance related pay by grade for previous years, information can be provided on the total non-consolidated performance related awards made in the Department and its predecessors, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Education and Skills, since 2007. This shows the total number of staff who received a bonus compared to the average numbers of staff in post over the year. The policy has always been to apply a percentage approach to the award of the bonuses by grade, to ensure that all grades have an equal opportunity to be awarded any bonuses which are in payment.
	Total paid as non-consolidated performance related awards compared to the number of staff in post (please note these figures have been rounded)
	
		
			  Department and predecessor Departments Total paid as non-consolidated performance related awards (£) Total number of staff receiving Bonus Average staff numbers over the year 
			 2011/12 Department for Education 1,250,000 650 2950 
			 2010/11 Department for Education (from 12 May 2010) 1,900,000 1,400 2740 
			 2009/10 Department for Children, Schools and Families (until 11 May 2010) 1,900,000 1,400 3030 
			 2008/09 Department for Children, Schools and Families 1,900,000 1,400 2821 
			 2007/08 Department for Education and Skills 1,900,000 1,200 2900

Early Intervention Grant

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Gateshead of 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1229W, on Early Intervention Fund, how much funding he allocated to the Early Intervention Fund in 2011-12; and how much each recipient received.

Sarah Teather: £2,231,981,341 was allocated to local authorities through the Early Intervention Grant in 2011-12. The total amount of funding allocated to the Early Intervention Grant has increased since the question asked by the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns), in recognition of pilot activities being undertaken by a number of local authorities.
	A breakdown of the allocation, detailing the level of funding each local authority received, can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/a0070357/early-intervention-grant-frequently-asked-questions/?cid=LAemail&pla=25feb2011&type=email

Early Intervention Grant

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that the Early Intervention Grant allocation for 2011-12 does not represent a real terms funding reduction for local authorities after inflation is taken into account.

Sarah Teather: The Early Intervention Grant came into existence in April 2011 and brought together existing funding streams from the Department for Education, excluding schools funding, into a single non-ringfenced grant. At the 2010 spending review it was necessary to reduce the amount of funding given to local authorities to begin the work of repairing the public finances. The allocations for EIG in 2011-12 represent an average 10.5% reduction compared with the predecessor grants in 2010-11. However, by removing the ringfences from the funding, the EIG gives LAs the flexibility to respond to local needs and drive reform, while supporting a focus on early intervention services across the age range.
	The core EIG in 2011-12, excluding pilot funding, was £2223 million but the core EIG, excluding pilot funding, in 2012-13 will be worth £2365 million, which represents an increase of 6.4%.

Faith Schools: Transport

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will provide additional ring-fenced funding to local education authorities for the purpose of funding home-to-school transport for pupils in faith schools.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 17 January 201 2 
	The vast majority of home to school transport, for both statutory and discretionary activity, is funded through Revenue Support Grant, paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and locally generated council tax. In addition, the Secretary of State allocated £85 million (for 2011-12 and 2012-13) to help local authorities meet their statutory duties in respect of home to school transporter low-income families. In the last spending review period (SR10) the Government announced an end to ring-fenced funding, other than for some education and health funding.

Mothers: Kent

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of mothers aged 16 to 19 were in (a) education, (b) employment and (c) training in (i) Chatham and Aylesford constituency, (ii) Medway unitary authority and (iii) Tonbridge and Malling borough council in each of the last 10 years.

Tim Loughton: The following table shows the proportion of teenage mothers who participated in education, employment and training (EET) between 2002 and 2011. Data at constituency and borough level are not available and the figures cannot be broken down for education, employment and training separately.
	
		
			 Percentage of teenage mothers EET 
			 As at March each year: 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2010 2011 
			 Kent LA (1)— (1)— (1)— 22 15 22 29 25 
			 Medway LA (1)— (1)— (1)— 26 20 31 28 32 
			 Kent and Medway 24 10 17 23 16 23 29 26 
			 (1) Data for 2002-04 available at Connexions Partnership level only.

Nursery Schools

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many disadvantaged two-year olds will be eligible for free nursery care in (a) South Thanet constituency, (b) South East and (c) England.

Sarah Teather: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in the Autumn Statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, that the early education entitlement for two-year-olds will be expanded to around 260,000 children. The Government intend to take a phased approach to the implementation of the new entitlement. Around 20% of all two-year-olds will be eligible from September 2013. From 2014, the entitlement will be extended to around 40% of two-year-olds.
	The Government have published indicative figures for how many children will be eligible in each local authority area in the first phase of the entitlement in 2013. These are available as part of the current Early Education and Childcare consultation, at the following link:
	www.education.gov.uk/consultations
	We estimate that around 136,400 two-year-olds in England, including 16,800 in the South East, and 3,300 in Kent will be eligible for the entitlement in 2013. Estimated numbers of eligible children are not available by parliamentary constituency.
	We will publish further proposals in due course on eligibility criteria to reach 40% of two-year-olds from 2014.

Pupils: Assessments

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on variations in examination results between different examination boards prior to the introduction of GCSEs.

Nick Gibb: The Department only holds summary statistics on the CSE (Certificate of Secondary Education) and GCE (General Certificate of Education) O-level examinations as published in the ‘Statistics of Education’ series. These are based on a sample of pupils and do not provide information which enables results from different examination boards to be compared.

Schools: Sports

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in school sports partnerships on the level of participation in school sports.

Tim Loughton: We have made no recent assessment of this. Schools should provide competitive sport for all pupils as part of a rounded education. To ensure this is happening, we are refocusing the programme of study for National Curriculum physical education so that it is clear that all pupils should play competitive sport regularly throughout the year. It is for schools to decide how best to organise school sport, whether through partnerships of by other means. By creating the School Games, the Government are also encouraging a range of sports to improve both the quality and quantity of sporting competitions on offer.

Schools: Sports

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the level of participation in triathlon events among school children.

Tim Loughton: We have not assessed participation in triathlon in schools in the last year and have not received any representations from expert bodies such as Ofsted or the Association for Physical Education about any significant change in participation levels. Triathlon is not a compulsory part of the National Curriculum and there are no plans to make it so. The PE and Sport Survey 2009-10 found that 5% of all schools provided triathlon for their pupils.

Schools: Swimming

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of changes in the level of participation in swimming in schools in the last year.

Tim Loughton: We have not assessed participation in swimming in schools in the last year and have not received any representations from expert bodies such as Ofsted, the Amateur Swimming Association or the Association for Physical Education about any significant change in participation levels. Swimming is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for all primary pupils. The PE and Sport Survey 2009-10 found that 84% of all schools provided swimming for their pupils.
	Swimming is one of the sports included in the new School Games which we are creating to encourage more competitive sport in schools.

Social Services: Children

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in the care of social services in (a) the UK and (b) Milton Keynes.

Tim Loughton: The number of looked after children in England as at 31 March 2011 was 65,520. The number of looked after children in Milton Keynes local authority as at 31 March 2011 was 270. This information is contained in the Statistical First Release (Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011) which was published on 28 September 2011 at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml
	Information on the number of children looked after in each local authority for the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2011 is contained in table LAA1 and has been placed in the House Libraries. The information can also be accessed in the above Statistical First Release (via the Excel link “Local Authority summary tables”) on the release's web page.
	The Department is responsible for children who are looked after by local authorities in England, information on children who are looked after in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is collected by the devolved administrations; however this is subject to different legislation and collected via different data systems.

Special Educational Needs

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children aged two years have a statement of special educational needs.

Sarah Teather: The Department only holds special educational needs status, by age, for pupils in publically funded schools (including nursery schools). The majority of two-year-olds do not attend such institutions.
	Within the institutions for which we do hold data, in January 2011 there were 257 pupils aged two (aged two as at 31 August 2010) with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) in schools(1) in England.
	The latest available information on pupils with special educational needs is published as Statistical First Release 14/2011 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2011' at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001007/index.shtml
	The Government are putting in place a range of measures to improve the early identification of SEN. An additional 4,200 health visitors are being recruited and trained so that early health and development reviews at age two are better able to pick up children's needs early; the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile is being revised to focus on three prime areas of development—communication and language; physical development; and social and emotional development; and an Early Language Development Programme is being put in place to help staff working with children to identify needs and provide appropriate support.
	(1) Includes nursery schools, state-funded primary and secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in independent and general hospital schools.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department allocated to (a) Centrepoint, (b) Crisis, (c) Skill Force and (d) Shelter in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 17 January 2012
	Based on the information available in the Department's finance system the funding to the named organisations in financial year 2010-11 is given in the following table, together with the spend to-date, as at 31 December 2011, for the financial year 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Funding in financial year 2010-11 Funding 2011-12 
			 Centrepoint 0 0 
			 Crisis 0 0 
			 SkillForce 177,640 130,398 
			 Shelter 0 0

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Day Care

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which professionals working in the child care sector are able to undertake apprenticeships under the Children's Care Learning and Development Apprenticeship Framework.

John Hayes: The Children's Care Learning and Development Apprenticeship Framework is currently available in Wales and covers the following job titles: Nursery Assistant, Cynorthwydd Cylch, Out-of-School Childcare Assistant, Playgroup Assistant, Crèche Assistant, Nursery Practitioner, Senior Nursery Practitioner/Room Leader, Child Minder, Centre Practitioner, and Crèche Leader/Practitioner.
	In England the Children and Young Person's Workforce Apprenticeship Framework covers similar roles: Early Years Worker/Assistant, Care Worker/Assistant, Assistant Youth Support and Community Worker, Nursery Worker/Supervisor, Child Minder, Nursery Nurse/Nursery Teaching Assistant, Residential Care Worker, Foster Carer, and Short Break Carer.
	Under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, 2009, a person working for another in any of these roles is able to undertake an apprenticeship.
	Full details about all apprenticeship frameworks including which professions they cover and any specific entry requirements can be found on the Apprenticeship Frameworks Online website:
	http://www.afo.sscalliance.org/

Apprentices: Day Care

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many registered child minders (a) enrolled on and (b) completed an apprenticeship in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: Information about the number of registered child minders that enrolled on or completed an apprenticeship is not available.
	The following table shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts and apprenticeship programme achievements in the ‘Children's Care Learning and Development’ framework, between 2005/06 and 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship starts and achievements in the ‘Children's Care Learning and Development’ framework, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			 Starts 12,330 13,210 15,260 17,250 20,110 
			 Achievements 6,230 7,160 7,610 9,610 12,130 
			 Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship framework starts and achievements is published in a supplementary table to the quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR):
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/
	The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/

Co-operatives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps (a) his Department and (b) those bodies for which his Department is responsible are taking to mark UN Year of the Co-operative 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) will work closely with Cabinet Office, the Mutuals Taskforce and with Co-operatives UK to develop and take full advantage of opportunities to celebrate the achievements of co-operative organisations during the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives.
	The Mutuals Taskforce has recently indicated it will play a co-ordinating role for Departments to support the International Year of Co-operatives, with Co-operatives UK leading the Taskforce's work in this area.

Coventry Gateway

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the Coventry Gateway project.

Mark Prisk: Senior officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, and the Highways Agency (HA) met with representatives of the promoters of the Coventry Gateway project and Coventry City Council. The potential interaction of the A45 Tollbar End improvement on the implementation of the Gateway project was discussed. It was agreed that the HA would have further detailed discussions with the promoters with the aim of ensuring that the two projects are compatible.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which EU (a) Directives, (b) Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department require transposition into UK law; and what estimate he has made of the cost to (i) the public purse and (ii) the private sector of such measures.

Edward Davey: The information requested is not held centrally and is currently being researched. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon the information is available and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Fossil Fuels

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent support the Export Credits Guarantee Department has given to fossil fuel energy projects operated by Petrobras.

Edward Davey: Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) recently agreed to support a line of credit for US $1 billion to Petrobras to finance the export of supplies from UK based companies. Further details are contained in ECGD's Notice of Support published on its website:
	www.ecgd.gov.uk/news-and-events/news/petrobras-line-of-credit-announced
	on 30 November 2011. No export contracts have yet been financed under the line of credit.

Further Education: Finance

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to take steps to secure funding for any further education infrastructure projects that meet the criteria of phase two of the enhanced renewal grant fund but could not be funded from the fund.

John Hayes: Since May 2010, this Government have made £175 million available to support further education college capital investment. I will continue to work to secure the investment our colleges need in the future. In addition, I have asked officials in the Skills Funding Agency to continue to work with those colleges that met the criteria and quality thresholds for the Phase Two Enhanced Renewal Grant Fund but which could not be funded, to consider how their projects might be helped to proceed in the future.
	I made a written ministerial statement on this matter on 12 January 2012, Official Report, columns 17-18WS.

Further Education: Higher Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of courses leading to a (a) higher national diploma, (b) higher national certificate and (c) foundation degree were taught in further education colleges in academic year (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

John Hayes: The numbers and proportions of full person equivalents studying higher national diploma, higher national certificate and foundation degree courses at further education colleges and higher education institutions in England are shown in the following table. Figures have been provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for the 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years. Information for the 2010/11 academic year is not available. More information on higher education in further education is available at this link to the HEFCE website:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/regions/profiles/
	
		
			 Full person equivalents (1)  studying higher national diploma (HND), higher national certificate (HNC) and foundation degree courses (2) . English higher education institutions (HEIs) and further education colleges (FECs), academic years 2008/09 and 2009/10 
			 Academic year  HND HNC Foundation degree 
			  Type of provision Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 2008/09 FEC taught and registered 8,360 41.0 11,070 54.8 19,660 21.5 
			  Franchised to FEC from HEI 3,490 17.1 4,615 22.9 25,970 28.4 
			  HEI taught and registered 8,545 41.9 4,460 22.1 40,900 44.7 
			  Taught at non-FEC/HEI provider — — 35 0.2 4,995 5.5 
			  Total 20,400 100.0 20,185 100.0 91,525 100.0 
			         
			 2009/10 FEC taught and registered 7,820 41.9 10,390 59.2 23,475 22.1 
			  Franchised to FEC from HEI 3,115 16.7 3,775 21.5 29,470 27.8 
			  HEI taught and registered 7,705 41.3 3,370 19.2 46,550 43.9 
			  Taught at non-FEC/HEI provider 20 0.1 20 0.1 6,615 6.2 
			  Total 18,655 100.0 17,555 100.0 106,110 100.0 
			 (1) In order to accurately measure higher education provision where students are taught at more than one institution or are studying more than one subject, head-counts are split across the institutions/subjects involved in proportion to the activity in each—this results in counts of full person equivalents. This gives a more accurate measure than direct head-counts, where the student would have to be arbitrarily assigned to one of the teaching institutions and/or one of the subjects. (2) Covers students of all ages and domiciles on full-time and part-time courses. Note: Numbers in this table are on a full person equivalent basis and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Percentages are based on unrounded numbers and given to one decimal place. Source: HEFCE analysis of the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and Skills Funding Agency Individualised Learning Record F05

Overseas Investment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in which countries UKTI has secured most UK investment in the latest period for which figures are available; and from which countries UKTI has secured the most investment in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) does not keep consolidated figures of investments by UK companies overseas, although UKTI trade services can be used to support UK companies planning to invest, or investing, overseas. This can include circumstances in which companies are moving some jobs and operations offshore in order to make their UK business more competitive.
	On securing investment into the UK, UKTI has been involved in the following, in 2010/11, in the top five countries:
	
		
			  Number of projects Number of new jobs Number of safeguarded jobs Total number of jobs 
			 USA 199 4,209 17,559 21,768 
			 Japan 87 1,739 1,362 3,101 
			 India 71 1,707 739 2,446 
			 Canada 54 844 488 1,332 
			 China 43 928 452 1,380 
			 Total 454 9,427 20,600 30,027 
			 Source: UKTI database

Public Sector: Private Sector

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans UK Trade and Investment has for future use of private sector delivery contracts.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has an ambitious target to double its client base to 50,000 over the next four years. The continued development and expansion of outsourcing services to private sector deliverers will play a key role in achieving this target. UKTI’s trade services in the English regions have been outsourced for a number of years, and its inward investment delivery operations were outsourced in 2011, to PA Consulting, on an incentivised basis with rewards linked to performance. UKTI proposes to adopt this approach for new trade service delivery contracts. Overseas, UKTI currently delivers the bulk of its services to UK companies in China through the private sector, and is looking at further options for overseas delivery through the private sector.

Trade Fairs

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish UK Trade and Investment's Tradeshow Access Event Programme for 2012.

Mark Prisk: The Tradeshow Access programme for 2012/13 is available on UK Trade and Investment's website. The programme calendar can be found at:
	www.ukti.gov.uk/tap

Trade Promotion

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how he plans to assess the effectiveness of the High Value Opportunities Scheme.

Mark Prisk: The High Value Opportunities programme is assessed through the following targets:
	1. Support for a minimum of 400 UK businesses per year, at least 300 of which should be small and medium-sized enterprises.
	2. At least 70% of businesses helped to access High Value Opportunities to report that UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) had significant favourable influence; as measured through the UKTI Performance and impact measurement system (PIMS).
	3. To support UK businesses to win overseas contracts as follows:
	
		
			  £ billion 
			 2011/12 1.5 
			 2012/13 3.0 
			 2013/14 4.0 
			 2014/15 4.5 
		
	
	4. There will also be a third party evaluation of the programme.

UK Trade and Investment

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish UK Trade and Investment's proposed programme of sectorally-focused overseas missions.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment is currently finalising its overseas missions programme for 2012-13 and will publish the details in due course.

UK Trade and Investment: Finance

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has allocated to UKTI in each year from 2010 to 2015.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is a joint Department of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). UKTI draws on its parent Departments for some business support functions on a shared service basis. This includes accommodation and aspects of Finance, HR and related IT support systems.
	The following table sets out the funding BIS has allocated to UKTI in each year from 2010 to 2015.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 Admin allocation 40.0 39.3 38.0 36.5 32.7 
			 Estimate of overhead allocation charge for accommodation, IT etc 12.0 11.0 10.0 8.0 7.0 
			 Programme allocation(1) — — 8.0 6.0 6.0 
			 Total 52.0 50.3 56.0 50.5 45.7 
			 (1 )Announced in the autumn statement Cm 8231.

UK Trade and Investment: Manpower

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff UK Trade and Investment employed in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011; and how many such staff it will employ in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

Mark Prisk: UKTI is not an employer in its own right; for the majority of its human resource requirements it draws on civil service staff employed by one or other of its two parent Departments—the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and staff from its private sector contractors.
	The number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) working on behalf of UKTI for 2009-10 and 2010-11 is as follows, along with estimates for 2011-12 and 2012- 13. Further detail is available from our annual reports available at:
	2009-10—2,350
	http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/item/114708.html
	2010-11—2,270
	http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/item/171020.html
	2011-12—2,403 estimate
	2012-13—2,528 estimate
	In 2011-12 and 2012-13, UKTI is committed to meeting the reductions set out under its spending review 2010 settlement. These focus on reducing administrative staff in London, funded by BIS. The Autumn Statement (Cm 8231) provided additional resources from 2012-13 to increase private sector front-line delivery, with the aim being to double the number of companies helped to export.
	As a result, we expect there to be a net increase in the number of FTEs employed by our private-sector delivery partners, over this two year period of 133 FTEs in 2011-12 and a further 125 FTEs in 2012-13.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities which EU (a) directives, (b) regulations and (c) other legislation affecting the Government Equalities Office require transposition into UK law; and what estimate she has made of the cost to (i) the public purse and (ii) the private sector of such measures.

Lynne Featherstone: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for Immigration, the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green), on 17 January 2012, Official Report, columns 659-60W, to PQ 89673.